The Valkyrie
by Arielara Lupin
Summary: After something happens during the Final Battle, Hermione finds herself fleeing the wizarding world and living in New York. There she is determined to put her past behind her. Stay hidden, stay safe, no magic, no bloody wings is her motto. For years it works. Then along came Loki, Thor and the Avengers. Crossover AU with Side pair of Nat/Harry, main pair Steve/Hermione/Bucky
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from either Marvel or Harry Potter. I make no money on them, just enjoy playing with the characters. As such, the storylines, timelines, etc may be changed to suit my needs. Please enjoy and review.

**The Valkyrie**

**Prologue**

Many moons ago in Asgard

Those females who proved themselves in deeds and were found worthy were given the highest honor. They became Valkyries, and were given the right to choose those who may die in battle and those who may live. These shield maidens served the god Odin and were sent by him to the battlefields to choose the slain who were worthy of a place in Valhalla. Valkyries had abilities that related to their duties. They could sense when a warrior was about to die, arrange that this warrior will die, defer the death so the warrior can survive to grow in skill, and they have the power to take the chosen warrior's soul with them.

Those selected by the valkyries are taken to the afterlife in The Hall of the Slain or Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become einherjar. When not in battle or preparation for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries often fetch the einherjar mead. Valkyries were the lovers of heroes and other mortals. They were sometimes described as the daughters of royalty. Often seen with a raven, a horse, or even swans for company. Valkyries were fierce, powerful, beautiful winged warriors.

The crowning of a Valkyrie was a joyous occasion. A cause for much celebration as a worthy one joined their ranks. The soon to be Valkyrie was young, even by Midgard standards. She had barely begun to live when her life was cut tragically short. Her mortal life was full of turmoil and suffering, each day a battle. But the young woman never lost the sense of fairness and kindness she possessed as a child. She was humbled by the chance to become a Valkyrie. Never had she seen such a beautiful place as Asgard. The vegetation was green and abundant, the city a glorious place with a glistening palace in it's center. The palace was where the young ones coronation was to take place. It was decorated beautifully. The rulers of Asgard Odin, Frigga, and their two sons were all in attendance.

Nervously she knelt before Odin's throne. The All Father stood imperiously above her, his wife at his side. In Frigga's hands was a beautiful silver and gold circlet with wings, the symbol all Valkyries wore.

"Through blood, sweat, tears and tribulations, your valor has shone true. This crown is a symbol of your worthiness. Your shield your strength. Your wings signify protection, truth and purity in your soul. Your sword, a symbol of your stamina and durability. May you bear truth to the honor bestowed on you. Rise Lady of War, let us join the feast in your honor."

The young Valkyrie rose, bowed her newly crowned head and placed her closed fist across her shoulder in salute. She joined her fellow shield maidens, accepting their adulations. The food was delicious, the wine flowed freely. As the sun set, one by one the Asgardians and valkyries sought their beds. As a newly crowned Valkyrie she had first watch with the palace guards.

The castle inhabitants were awoken from slumber by a loud disturbance. Odin shot to his feet and charged out. While everyone had slept, a band of Frost Giants invaded. They had overpowered the guards and stormed the bifrost. The Valkyrie had failed to raise the alarm quickly and many Asgardians were slain. Once Odin had dealt with the frost giants, he turned his fury on the Valkyrie. He declared that they had betrayed them by not coming to aid his guards. As such they were hereby banned from Asgard. He found the newest one on his way back to the palace. She lay slumped, wounded on the bifrost. In his anger he ripped the wings from her back and pushed her body from the bifrost. As she fell to Midgard, her body was nearly destroyed from the impact of the landing. The crown falling from her head, hand losing its grip on her sword. Her eyes warily opened to see four strange people in cloaks holding sticks. As her eyes closed in death she wished the honor of the Valkyries restored.

The four who found the broken woman buried her body in the forbidden forest near the school they had founded, Hogwarts. The next morning, the Valkyrie's crown was found. Rowena placed it in the Come and Go Room in the castle, where it lay forgotten for a little over a millennium.

**Author Note: This is just a short prologue to set up the story. Please read, review and follow the story! Chapter 1 should be up shortly!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything recognizable from either Marvel or Harry Potter. I make no money on them, just enjoy playing with the characters. As such, the storylines, timelines, etc may be changed to suit my needs. Please enjoy and review.

**Possible Trigger Warning**

This is the final battle. So war, death, etc. You have been warned!

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 1: This is War**

The battle raged around them. Colorful spells flew overhead. Still the trio pressed on, intent on making it to the Come and Go Room to retrieve the diadem. Harry was sure he had seen it there when he had hidden the Half Blood Prince's book. Finally they made it, the heavy door creaked as it closed behind them with a thud. They split up to speed the search up. There- Hermione saw a small, delicate, silver and gold winged circlet. She wish she knew exactly what the diadem looked like. Harry had described it simply as a circle with wings. This was certainly that. Her hand reached out and her fingers almost touched it. The power coming from it was rather intense. The magic arcing from the circlet to her fingers, sending a jolt of power through her system. But it didn't feel like the locket had. The magic didn't feel dark, twisted and corrupted. She wasn't sure if this was the right one, but she was inexplicably drawn to it. Her fingers wrapped around it, a thru of power resonating in her core. She shivered as if shaking off the feeling. Her focus snapped back when she heard Harry's voice. She distinctly heard the name Bellatrix. The very name causing her stomach to roll, here arm aching from the still unhealed curse wounds. Hermione crept around a large stack of things to look for Harry. Harry stood tall facing Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, their wands all pointed at Harry.

She was trying to keep hidden, that way if Harry needed help she could jump in. Goyle was urging Malfoy to curse Harry, but he held back. His resolve seemed to be wavering. Loud footsteps and swearing shifted their attention to Ron, who hadn't noticed their company. Clutching the circlet tighter, she used the distraction to get closer to Harry. The standoff was coming to an end soon, but how was still unknown. Crabbe fired a hex at Ron, who barely managed to duck the green spell. His eyes went wide as Crabbe came after him, knocking down piles of junk all around the room. He turned and fled deeper into the room. Harry began to duel the others while she provided cover. Hermione joined Harry in his duel. She shot a quick disarming spell, and stunning spell, followed by a body bind. She managed to leave Goyle wandless and stunned, but it looked like it was quickly wearing off. A terrified yell echoed through the room as Ron came running back. A large snakelike flame nipping at his heels. Fiendfyre! Everyone scrambled trying to outrun the monstrous flames that were devouring everything in their path. Ron spotted a discarded stack of brooms and snatched them as he ran past. He tossed one to Harry, and one to her. Even though she hated flying on a broom, it was the quickest way out. The trio mounted up and headed toward the exit. Hermione spotted Malfoy and Goyle climbing nearby stacks in their attempt to escape.

"Harry! We have to go back! We can't just leave them to die!"

With a nod, they turned back. Ron protested the whole time. Both the boys managed to grab onto Malfoy and Goyle. They shot off toward the door. Bursting through it, flames growing ever higher. They crashed and landed in a heap, arms and legs all tangled with broken broom pieces. Hermione managed to sit up. Feeling a trickle down the side of her face, she raised her hand only to notice she still held the circlet. She had forgotten it in their bid to flee. Eyes wide she turned to Harry. She opened her mouth to ask but Harry had already seen what was on her head. Shaking his head, he pointed back towards the RoR.

"I saw it. It's destroyed. The fiendfyre."

Nodding her head she let out a shaky breath. Though he had not escaped when he lost control of the fiendfyre, they could credit Crabbe with destroying the horcrux. They had minor injuries. Mainly some smoke inhalation and were covered in soot, but they were alive to keep fighting.

They quickly got to their feet, confirming all they had left was Nagini. Determined to take care of it at all costs. She encouraged Harry to attempt to use his connection with Voldemort to find him and Nagini. He did so, and after a few tense moments informed them that he was in the Shrieking Shack. Outrage that he wasn't even fighting filled Hermione.

"Then that's where we go. We take care of that snake and then we finish him once and for all."

They mostly ignored Malfoy until he shot a stunner in their direction, just missing them. Hermione realized he hadn't missed them, he had hit his intended target. The masked Death Eater had come upon them and raised his wand. Draco Malfoy had saved them. With a nod of thanks in his direction, the trio sped off. Hermione not noticing she had yet to release the circlet, sticking it in her beaded bag without a thought. As they ran, they came across Fenrir Greyback mauling Lavender Brown on a landing. Hermione blasted him with a reducto, throwing him through the railing and down the many floors below. She did what she could for Lavender to staunch the bleeding. Luckily Bill Weasley was headed in their direction. He scooped Lavender up and ran off to the hospital wing.

The trio fought their way down to the Entrance Hall. Hermione shot a tripping jinx at a Death Eater who was dueling Neville. Neville wasted no time stunning and casting a full body bind on them. He nodded his thanks at Hermione. Harry grabbed his arm, telling him to take out the snake if he saw it. Neville nodded at the order before taking off to find Luna in the chaos. The trio continued on, dodging curses, passing fellow DA and Order members dueling fiercely. They helped as they could without stopping. The made it to the whomping willow and slid into the tunnel underneath. They hurried through it and heard the voices of Voldemort and Severus Snape. Keeping out of sight they listened as Voldemort asked about his wand, and spoke in parseltongue to Nagini. They could hear as she attacked the professor, her fangs sinking into his neck. Voldemort then left the shack and Hermione ran to the professors side. She did what she could to heal him, going as far as searching his robes for potions. She found a blood replenisher and a bezoar in one of his many pockets and administered them. She had found and unlabeled one that she wasn't sure what it might be so she set it down. When he told them to take his tears, Hermione recognized the sheen as memories. Harry grabbed a vial and collected his tears, carefully caping the vial. They left the shack, Hermione said a quick prayer that she had done enough for the professor.

The trio fought their way into the entrance of the castle. They spied Fred, George and surprisingly Percy joking as they dueled together. The spell damage to the wall behind them caused it to collapse, burying two of the Weasley brothers in the rubble. The trio wasted no time helping George to sift and remove the collapsed wall. They managed to pull Percy from the rubble, his leg crushed from a section of the wall. Hermione turned her attention back to the rubble, joining George in his frantic search for his twin. Tears streamed down her face as she dug, a litany of prayers on her lips. Working together the two moved one of the larger pieces that had miraculously not collapsed fully. It was leaned against another smaller stack. In the pocket between the two lay Fred. It was merely the way the larger piece had been propped up that shielded him from the majority of the falling debris. Hermione shuddered to think if the smaller pieces had not supported the larger one. They pulled Fred out and left him in the care of George and the just arrived Luna Lovegood.

As they tended the boys Hermione kept watch, shielding and deflecting what she could. She heard an anguished cry and turned her attention towards it. Remus Lupin was holding his wife's limp body in his arms, lost to all but his grief. She caught sight of Dolohov raising his wand toward Remus. She leapt to her feet and shot a stinging jinx at Dolohov to divert his attention. She scrambled to her feet as she engaged in a duel with Dolohov. The two dueled fiercely. The need to avenge herself after the curse he had used two years ago rose up in her. She felt a burst of power as she sent three stunners in rapid succession, throwing Dolohov into a wall. He was knocked unconscious and slid to the floor in a heap. Casting an incarcerous to be safe, she then placed herself at Remus's back.

The voice of Voldmort rang out suddenly. Giving them a reprieve from the fighting. She placed her hand on Remus's shoulder, catching his attention. His tear streaked face looked to hers and he nodded. He stood up, the body of Nymphadora cradled in his arms. He carried her towards the Great Hall. She followed Harry, Luna and the Weasley brothers into the Great Hall. She wearily sat down head between her knees as she tried to block out the sights and sounds as best she could. She couldn't fall apart now. The battle was far from over. Her beaded bag slipped from her fingers, coming open as it hit the floor some of the contents spilled out. Harry stooped down to help her gather things and put them back in her bag. His picked up the circlet, looking it over. He held on to it as he sat beside Hermione, turning to face her. He recognized it from earlier. His mouth tugged into a slight smile. He placed the circlet on her head.

"I couldn't have done any of this without you Hermione. You have given me more than I could ever repay. Our friendship has cost you troubles, made you cry, made you bleed. But through everything you stayed by my side. Still the same loyal, fierce, compassionate girl I helped save from a troll. You made the right call about saving Malfoy earlier. You helped so many today. You even saved Remus. You are a true warrior, and I am so glad you are my side."

She shivered as she felt the magic of the circlet wash over her fully. She grabbed him tight in a fierce hug. The pair were engulfed in a horde of redheads as the Weasley family thanked them for helping Percy and Fred. She managed to extract herself to go see if she could help Madam Pomfrey. She lost track of Harry while she worked. It was only after Ron asked she realized she hadn't seen him. She and Ron left the Great Hall and ran into him. He filled them in on what he had seen Snape's memories. She swore she wouldn't let him go alone to meet Voldemort. That she was with him until the end. Harry nodded stiffly, and agreed not to go without her. They headed back to the Great Hall, Harry stopped by Kingsley. Spotting Remus she went to offer him some comfort, leaving Harry to talk with Kings. A few minutes later, Remus shrugged her off. She looked for Harry and couldn't find him. Her heart began to race. Where was he? She started asking others as the voice of Voldemort rang out announcing Harry's death.

Those inside the castle made their way out to see Voldemort and his Death Eaters approaching. In their midst was Hagrid, his arms carrying the limp body of Harry. Hermione bit her lip in an effort to contain her fear. She scoffed at his offer to join him. She knew better. He would kill them even if they joined. She watched as Neville limped out from among them. She admired his courage and determination. He was right of course, she wasn't going to quit fighting. Giving up was not an option. Her rage built as she watched Bellatrix dance in mad glee when Voldemort forced the sorting hat on Neville's head. That was one witch who needed to the. And Hermione was determined to be the one to do it. As she thought this she felt a pulse of power and a curious burning between her shoulders. Many things happened all at the same time. Neville pulled the sword of Gryffindor from within the sorting hat. He gripped it tight and swung it in an arc the same time as Nagini reared up to strike. Before anyone could react, Harry rolled out of Hagrids arms, shooting a spell at Voldemort before running and drawing him off. And with that the fighting began again.

She was drawn into a duel with Rajasthan Lestrange. As she fought she remembered he was one of the ones who had harmed Neville's parents. She felt the power of the stunner she sent at him. It hit him square in his chest. He flew back and fell to the ground, eyes wide and unseeing. She heard the cackle of Bellatrix and turned. She joined Luna and Ginny as they fueled the crazed witch. Bellatrix managed to disarm her, slamming her into a wall. Remembering all this witch had done flipped a switch in Hermione. The circlet on her head pulsed as massive wings sprouted from her back. Her clothes transformed into something completely different. Her head was hooded, she wore shoulder guards, a corslet and a long flowing slitted skirt. Upon her arms were bracers, and greaves upon her legs. Her eyes glowed with barely contained power. She held out her hand and the Sword of Gryffindor flew into it. Molly Weasley had dispatched of Bellatrix, but there were many others who needed to die. Her body started moving on it's own, her mind shutting off and letting the power she felt control her. Her wings lifted her in air, and she rained justice upon the Death Eaters. With each swing of her sword, the more she killed. Their blood staining the castle floors. She had just yanked her sword from yet another Death Eaters when she saw Harry fall. With two swift flaps of her wings she was behind Voldemort, ramming her sword into his back. The sword which had killed a basilisk, destroyed horcruxes, killed death eaters ended the Dark Lord just as easily. The magical backlash from his demise threw her a good distance away, her head hitting the wall and knocking her unconscious. Her wings curled around her as she fell to the ground, sword falling from her hand.

**AUTHOR NOTE:**  
Hope you are enjoying so far! Be sure to leave me a review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything you potentially recognize.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 2: Birds Of A Feather**

Awareness came gradually. The pain in her head making it hard to even think. Something brushed across her face. It was soft and tickled her nose. Unable to bring herself to open her eyes just yet, she lay still as she attempted to process. Her head throbbed something awful. Why did it hurt so bad? She became aware of just how uncomfortable the rest of her body was. She was lying on something hard, and her back felt like it was on fire. Had she fallen asleep on the floor? No that didn't see right. She cracked her eyes open before closing them again. Black and white feathers seemed to cover her face. It reminded her of the time Crookshanks had brought her a feathered prize. Trying again she opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Ok definitely feathers. Tracing them with her eyes she realized they were attached-to her. Her brain scrambled to process that. Suddenly she was remembering the dream she'd had.

_FLASHBACK_

_A bright light lit up the darkness, growing in size as it came towards her. From the light emerged a young woman, a familiar looking circlet on her head. She had a breastplate of leather, shoulder guards, arm guards and leather gladiator sandals. All in all, she presented a powerful figure. The woman stopped when she neared Hermione. She bowed her head, and crossed one arm across her chest in a salute. _

"_We meet at last. I have long anticipated your arrival. You have proven your worth and been bestowed a great honor. I fear your path will be difficult. Not many believe we exist. It has been a millennium since our banishment. Good luck milady."_

_The woman began to walk away, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Ghostly wings appeared behind her before she was engulfed in light, disappearing from view. _

The whole situation was confusing. Never one to believe in Divination, she chalked it up to a possible concussion. It certainly made sense why she couldn't clearly remember everything. Memories began to filter in. The Final Battle. She recalled the RoR, the Shrieking Shack, Snape, Remus, Harry putting the circlet on her head. After that things became a bit fuzzy. But she remembers blood. Lots of blood. She sat up with a groan, the feathered wings falling open. Ok so she still didn't understand the wings. They were bloody confusing. A look at herself revealed blood, but it didn't appear to be hers. Given the blood on the Sword of Gryffindor, it wasn't hers at all. She noticed people moving around her. They glanced nervously at her before yanking their eyes away. As if looking at her would cause her to do something drastic. Oh there was confusion on their faces, and a distinctive look of mistrust. She reached a hand out at the next person who passed, her fingers grazing their trousers. Her voice sounded raspy even to her.

"Harry. Where's Harry?"

The passerby, Pavarti, pursed her lips in distaste and took a step back from Hermione.

"They moved him to St. Mungo's. About 30 minutes ago."

Pavarti walked off without so much as a backwards glance. Hermione could not believe they had taken Harry without her. Worse yet, she had no idea what condition he was in. Was it life threatening? Or was the move merely a preventive measure? Then she began to wonder- had anyone even checked on her? Seeing as she woke on the hard ground, and alone it didn't look like it. That didn't make any sense. She was sure someone would have helped her or for Godric's sake even stayed with her. But that wasn't the case. They had all left her. The thought that she was abandoned hurt. Her rational mind told her that obviously, everyone was concerned for Harry. She just had to make herself get up and then she could go check on him herself, and maybe get some treatment for herself. Some minor cuts, definite bruising, and her arm hurt. She obviously was having hallucinations, given that she somehow imagined she had wings. Ok so they were rather vivid hallucinations. She could see, touch and feel them. Had someone used a confundus charm on her? She wasn't sure what the effects of that particular charm felt like, seeing as she had never experienced it for herself.

She managed to untangle herself from the wings and worked her way to the closest wall. She used it to help support herself as she shakily regained her feet. Leaning her right shoulder against the wall to remain propped up, Hermione took the chance to survey the area. The castle had taken quite a bit of damage. There were several large holes in the walls. She briefly wondered if the Giants had made them. A few deep gouges marred the stone floor. One of the staircases had collapsed. Then there was the blood. It seemed to be almost everywhere she turned. She prayed the casualties for their side had been low. Had all the Weasley's survived? What about Remus? Professor McGonagall? Had she done enough to help Professor Snape? The questions seemed endless.

Pushing herself from the wall she stood upright. The wings rustled a bit with her movements. Her legs felt a bit like she had been hit with a jelly jinx, but she pressed on. She was headed to the Great Hall. She would be able to find out the information she needed there. Feeling weak as a newborn kitten, she slowly made her way there. She paused about 10 feet from the door. She leaned against the wall when a wave of dizziness crashed down on her. Her knees buckled. An arm wrapped around her waist and kept her upright.

"Whoa. Easy there, steady."

She looked toward the voice and saw it was Neville. Luna stood at his side, her eyes drifted from Hermione's face to the wings. She wondered if Luna could see them too? If so, what did that mean?

"They are lovely Hermione, and they seem to suit you. Though the wrackspurts circling your head seem to make you bit confused as to the truth of them. They are real. We can see them too. I imagine once you get rid of the shredded jacket they will fold and store much nicer."

Hermione's eyes opened wide, her mouth gaping at the blond. She could see them too, and they were real. Good Godric! She was vaguely aware of Neville helping her along. He sat her down just inside the doors. He turned to Luna, shaking his head before walking off. The dreamy blond stood patiently, her hand holding Hermione's. Neville came back a few minutes later with some basic medical supplies. Luna pointed her wand at Hermione and spoke a soft terego and a scourgify for practicality sake. Soft, gentle hands moved her hair from her face as Neville peered at the cut on her temple. If she was right, it had happened when they escaped the RoR. Once he cleaned it and patched it up, he smoothed her hair over her shoulder. She winced when his hand brushed one of the wings, a soft hiss falling from her lips. He looked a Luna who reached up to help. Luna ran a hand over the wings, smoothing the ruffled feathers. She had started with the tips and worked her way to the shoulder of the wings. She massaged the base of the wings for a few moments before they shuddered and slowly began to retract. The wings folded down and seemed to slide into her very skin, essentially disappearing from view. The only signs they had been there were the few scattered feathers. The wings had only been gone a few moments when she felt a tingling on her back. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as Neville handed her a pain potion. He couldn't do much to help her arm. Besides the cursed wound she was fairly sure she had fractured it.

"Sorry Hermione. I wish I could do more, but this is about the extent of my healing abilities."

"It's ok Neville. I really appreciate the help. Besides I am going to see Harry at St. Mungo's. I can get the rest treated there."

Luna and Neville looked at Hermione's clothing. Luna pointed her wand at her and transfigured it into normal jeans and a jumper.

"Oh! Yes I suppose I didn't think about that. I am not actually sure were my wand is. I was using Bellatrix's. Not that it worked properly for me, but it was better than nothing. I am going to have to use the floo to get to St. Mungo's."

"Just be safe Hermione. There are still Death Eaters out there."

The two hugged Hermione before heading off hand in hand. Hermione made her way to the headmaster's office to floo out. She passed others on her way there. Many looked at her oddly, or turned away completely. One muggleborn Ravenclaw made e sign of the cross as she passed her as quickly as possible. Hermione was confused. The door to the headmaster's office was still open. She grabbed a pinch of floo powder and was on her way. Since she wasn't sure where they would have Harry, she headed to the mediwitch station. A rather frazzled, grumpy looking woman sat behind the desk.

"Hello. I am looking for Harry Potter's room please."

The mediwitch snorted. " You and the rest of Wizarding Britain. Sorry, but only family is allowed."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "He has no magical family. He is my best friend, has been since we were eleven."

"Look, Mr. Potter has been placed here for his protection. You aren't family, and I can't allow you in. I am sorry, but those are my orders. I suggest you go home."

She stumbled back to the floo. Poor Harry was all alone! She used a pinch of floo powder to head to the Burrow. At least there she would be able to find rest and her family. She stumbled from the floo as a spasm hit her. Side effect of the cruciate curse. She fell to the floor and focused on her breathing. When the spasm passed she opened her eyes panting slightly. Strangely no one had come in when she had come thru. She called out a greeting, trying to locate the. Weasley's. When she received no reply she went room to room looking for them. Not a single red head could be found. Maybe she had just beaten them home. She grabbed some spare clothes from her beaded bag and hopped in the shower. Godric hot water was amazing. She had missed it the most while they had been on the run. Confused and a bit lost she sat on the bed she always used in Ginny's room. Between the horcrux hunt, the battle and the sheer amount off magic she had used, she was exhausted. She slumped down on the bed closing her eyes.

She dreamed of the woman again. This time they were in a beautiful city, unlike anything Hermione had seen before. She watched as the woman trained with others using swords and a bow and arrow. She managed to knock a large muscular blonde man down when they sparred. A thin black haired man sat on a garden wall not far away laughing at the sight. The woman helped the blond man up before going down on one knee, head bowed and right arm across right her chest. The scene changed and she watched as the woman looked at different weapons. Hermione's eyes were drawn sword with a golden hilt had a pummel that flared into wings. It had a silver blade that glowed slightly in power. Hermione figured that would be the sword the woman chose. But she picked up a longer silver sword, expertly moving it around a few times before hanging it in her belt. Hermione's eyes were drawn again towards the other sword, her fingers fairly twitched with the need to pick it up. The dream faded and Hermione found herself alone in the dark quiet house. Where were the Weasley's?

**AUTHORS NOTES:**

**As always, leave those reviews! Hope you are enjoying the story thus far! **


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything you potentially recognize.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 3: When You're Broken**

Unsure where the Weasley's may be, Hermione decides to go back to Hogwarts. She penned a quick note and left it on the table in case the Weasleys came back. It didn't take her long to gather things to leave. She left most of the stuff in her beaded bag anyways. Taking a moment to change her wrap on her arm, and washing her face was all she had to do. She grabbed a pinch of floo powder and off she went. Exiting the headmasters office she started her search back in the Great Hall. She asked around but didn't get any help. Some people downright refused to even speak to her. With not much to go on, she guessed that perhaps the Weasley's had gone to Aunt Muriel's. She didn't know exactly where that was, so she was forced to wait. Saying a prayer that they were all okay, she was trying to figure out the next course of action when she noticed several people clearing away debris and getting things organized. She may not have a wand, but then again she often did things the muggle way anyways. Pitching in what little she could didn't really do much but get in the way. Finally after the 4th person complained about her lack of usefulness, Professor McGonagall sent her off to the library. She had been thinking about the bloody wings more and more. Perhaps she could research a bit while helping to put the library to rights. She remembered reading up on creature inheritances not long before they had gone on the run. She had heard the rumors about Draco Malfoy being a veela. After meeting Fleur, she had been curious. She had practically devoured the book Fleur had loaned her. She moved stack after stack, trying to arrange them the way they had been. She had found a couple of books on magical creatures pretty quickly, and laid them to the side to check for answers. After working for a but, she decided to take a break. Skimming through the various books, she found the sections on creatures capable of flight. She settled on the floor as she began to read. The obvious things were out, dragon, fairy, hippogriff, thestral, doxie, pixie. She was fairly certain she wasn't a veela. As they were known for their good looks and lovely blond hair. She wondered if perhaps Luna had Veela blood in her family. She was pretty sure the Malfoy family did. Draco, no matter how big a git was definitely easy on the eyes and had the platinum blond hair. Shaking off her wanderings she continued to read. That is until she came to harpy.

_A harpy is a rapacious monster that has a woman's head and upper body and a bird's wings and claws or as a bird of prey with a woman's face. Harpies are often agents of punishment. They abduct people and torture them on their way to HADES' domain. They are employed by the Gods as instruments for the punishment of the guilty. Not to be confused with Veela, which can transform into Harpy-like creatures when they are angered._

They didn't sound pleasant. She had definitely fit a few of those qualities. But she didn't have claws, and her lower body hadn't changed. So she wasn't a harpy. She was quite happy about not being that thank you ever so much. There were no more flying creatures listed that even matched any criteria other than the ability to fly. Huffing a breath, she stood up and scooped up the small stack of books she had been using. She had been 17 for awhile so if it was a creature inheritance, it was super late. Plus those of muggleborn descent usually don't have a creature inheritance. Switching to a different book she tried to find any information on the circlet. That path led to nothing. Other than the diadem there wasn't much else. Just a mention of goblin made tiaras that some families had for their brides. While beautiful they really didn't hold much in the way of magic. And even if the circlet had been made of goblin materials (she knew it hadn't been), how in the world would it have ended up in the come and go room at Hogwarts? It made no sense. She was caught up in her musings and didn't realize her stack of books was so precarious. The top two fell from the stack with a loud thud. Cursing softly she sat the rest of the stack down and bent to retrieve the other two. She didn't notice her shirt had ridden up until she heard a gasp behind her. Straightening quickly she spun around. Susan Bones stood there with her mouth agape. Hermione was confused and irritated at the reaction. Seriously, what was with people today? She looked at Susan before she snapped.

"What?!"

Susan's eyes widen and she looked properly scandalized when she asked her about what she had seen.

"Granger! When did you get a tattoo? What is it? Can I see it? Did it hurt? I thought you had to be of age in the muggle world for them too."

The questions spilled forth in a rushed version of word vomit. Hermione raised her eyebrow and did her impression of a fish while trying to figure out how to respond. After all, she didn't know there was one, so how could she actually answer that? Finally, failing to find the words, she rushed past her and ran for the closest intact bathroom. She ripped her jumper over her head and did her best to look at her back. Sure enough, there was a tattoo. A rather large one. A set of arched golden wings covered her shoulder blades, and ended at the base of her spine in two pointed lines. In between the arched wings, was a circular symbol in silver. She couldn't quite get a clear look at it. So she did the next logical thing. She tore from the room, grabbed Luna and yanked her into a currently unused classroom. She scrambled around the room for a scrap parchment, but not finding ink she dug through her beaded bag. Shoving the items at Luna, and gave a hurried draw this order. She turned around and yanked up her shirt again. Looking back she watched Luna's head tilt first one way and then the other. Luna quietly sketched it out, focusing on the circular symbol at the top.

"I'm not quite sure what this symbol is Hermione. It doesn't look like anything I have seen in Ancient Runes. Have you tried researching creatures yet? Maybe it has to do with that."

With a shrug, Luna pulled Hermione's jumper back down. She wished her best of luck before skipping off. Hermione stared at the drawing. Something niggled in her mind. She HAD seen it before. Just not entirely sure where that was. Luna was right that it wasn't ancient runes. At least not any that they had covered. With even more questions added to her ever growing list, Hermione put the piece of parchment into her beaded bag. She felt a jolt when her hand grazed up against the circlet. She had placed it there when she showered at the Burrow. It was a curiosity in and of itself. It didn't feel evil, it actually felt uplifting. When she touched it she felt stronger, better, more powerful. She felt like she could do anything.

Her stomach rumbled. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Before leaving Bill and Fleur's maybe? They had stopped for a quick rest and some water after escaping the bank. And she had a cool drink at the Burrow. But as far as food went it had been over 48 hours. She was used to too little food, in a long stretch of time. But she made a note to take better care of herself now. She was too skinny, they all were after the horcrux hunt. Leaving the classroom she found that the elves had managed to put together a lunch of soup and sandwiches. She ate of creamy soup, but only managed a small portion. It was simply too rich tasting after not eating much. She did feel better now though. She finished out the rest of the day in the library, reorganizing and researching.

Instead of flooing to the Burrow again she chose to stay at the castle that night. Trudging up the stairs she got to Gryffindor tower. Dean Thomas was standing guard. Instead of letting her pass he told her the tower was full. Sighing she turned around and headed back to the library. At least they had comfy chairs. She could curl up in there for the night. Wouldn't be the first time she had slept in a library. She had done it many a time at Grimmauld Place. She perked up at that thought. She could go there soon. Check out the library, get things ready for when Harry came home, sleep in an actual bed, another blissful hot shower. It sounded like heaven. As tired as she was she had one last thing she should do. She hadn't seen or heard from Remus since the battle. She found some parchment, and wrote a quick note. She would remember to send it first thing in the morning. She drifted off into a fitful slumber, too many nightmares plagued her dreams.

Morning came and she first sent off her note to Remus using one of the school owls. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone and if he needed anything she would be happy to help. The next several days were pretty much the same pattern. Wake up, work on the library, try to remember to eat, sneak a shower if possible, avoid people (and the whispers they thought she couldn't hear-honestly why did they think she was some sort of demon!) research a bit, sleep in one of the library's plush armchairs. After waiting days to hear from Remus, or the Weasley's with no luck, she decided today was the day to head to Grimmauld.

Heading to the floo she made a mental note to inquire about when Ollivander's would be reopening. It was much easier to apparate than to floo everywhere. Not to mention, cleaner! No soot to get on you! Because she still had access, she floo directly to Grimmauld Place. She immediately heard the screeching of Sirius' mother from her portrait. She ran to it and yanked the curtains closed. She went to her room, took a few things from her bag and took a hot shower. She took the time to look at the gold and silver tattoo, wondering for the umpteenth time what it was. She missed using a drying charm for her hair, instead plaiting the thick long hair into a braid. She grabbed a quick snack out of the kitchen and headed for the library. She laid the circlet, the drawing and her list of notes out on the table. Hours passed with no progress. She stood up, stretched and decided to do some cleaning while she thought. She started with the kitchen. She retrieved the cleansing supplies Mrs. Weasley had left from a couple summers ago and scrubbed everything. After the kitchen she moved on to the dining She tried to room and den. She tried to tip toe and avoid Sirius' mothers portrait but the curtains kept coming open just enough for her to begin her screaming. She found a roll of muggle duct tape (Thank you Mr. Weasley) and closed the curtains before using the entire roll to duck tape them closed and to the surrounding wall. Since all the other portraits in the house were locked in the attic at Sirius's behest it solved the solution quite well. She went back to work. A fresh coat of paint would have made the rooms look brand new, but at least the first floor was all clean. She took a shower, crossed a few items off her to do list and fell into bed. She had strange dreams of warriors and wings.

Giving up on sleep she got up and started her day. Rummaging the cabinets didn't reveal much in the way of food. She didn't have much wizarding money on her, so she would have to head to the muggle world. She stopped by the solicitors office while she was there. The sale of her parents' house and practice was almost complete. She hated to sell the house, but after their deaths, she couldn't handle living there. Maybe if she had obliviated them sooner, or given them the urge to move to America things would have been different. But how could she have known that they would never make it to the airport in the first place? She couldn't have predicted that drunk driver any more than she could the weather. She wasn't sure why she did it, but she passed a place that made passports and headed in. She had a fake ID that she had paid her neighbor to make her before she had gone on the run. It seemed practical at the time. She had the passport made to match the ID. She thought perhaps Helen Smith might like to travel one day. Venturing down the way to the entrance to St. Mungo's she decided to try to see Harry. She'd had very little information about him. She was met with the same grumpy mediwitch telling her that she wasn't allowed. Getting frustrated when she was turned away again she started out. Not paying attention she ran smack into someone. She looked up to apologize only to gasp in joy and throw her arms around the person. She had run into Percy Weasley. While he may not have been her favorite of the Weasley's, he was still someone she considered family. Percy pulled her arms away and set her away from him.

"Percy! I am so glad to see you! I have been so worried about you all! Where have you all been?"

"Taking turns sitting with Harry and Fred."

"Fred? What's wrong with Fred?"

"He has yet to wake up from the wall incident. His prognosis is good. The healer says he should wake any time now. I was just about to go try and force George to leave."

"Can I see him? I didn't even know he was here. I thought you were all hiding somewhere."

"No. Sorry, only family is being allowed. Mum has been splitting her time between Fred and Harry. She went home earlier, now if you'll excuse me I have to go."

It wasn't until he had started to walk off that she caught that Mrs. Weasley had been able to see Harry.

"Wait! Percy!"

He turned around in an aggravated huff. "What?"

"I just wondered how it was your family had been able to get in to see Harry. The mediwitch said it was family only being allowed."

"Yes. Harry is family. Mum has been his magical guardian since Sirius Black passed."

He turned and left a stunned Hermione Granger behind him. Mrs. Weasley had been Harry's magical guardian for more than two years- why had no one said anything to her? Why wouldn't Mrs. Weasley have allowed Hermione in to see Harry? Percy said she was at the Burrow. Maybe she could explain things to her. She went to the floo only to find her access from the Burrow had been removed. Well that was odd. Maybe they had put up new wards. She used some powder to make a fire call, thinking that they would allow her through. She was shocked when Molly answered and told her in no uncertain terms was she ever allowed back at the Burrow. How unfortunate it was that she was stuck with one snooty bird because her eldest had married it, she wasn't going to be stuck with another. Stunned and hurt, Hermione drug her head back out of the fireplace. Why was Mrs. Weasley acting like that? Hermione felt sick. She wasn't allowed at the Burrow, she wasn't allowed to see Harry, people at Hogwarts treated her like she had the plague. Heartsick she slunk off to Grimmauld. Today had been simply awful. She did something she knew she would probably regret, but when she was cleaning she had found a hidden bottle of firewhiskey. After the emotional day she poured herself a glass, or three. She passed out on the couch in the den.

A tapping sound woke her a bit later. It sounded like someone was using a wrecking ball to knock. Head spinning, she set up with a groan. Rubbing her eyes and trying to calm her stomach she spotted the owl at the window. Stumbling to the window she opened it and retrieved the owl of the letter. She thanked it, pointed to a dish that held owl treats on the mantel and opened the letter.

Hermione,

Sorry you haven't heard from me in a couple days, but my Gran has said that for some reason I shouldn't associate with you. I don't know why, but I can't go against her for another couple of months. I don't turn 17 until then and I can't take over my Lordship until then. I am so so sorry Hermione. I hope you understand. I keep trying to convince her otherwise, but she is rather stuck in her ways. I just wanted to give you a little warning before we saw each other next. I will be attending most of the funerals. Starting with Colin's tomorrow. I am sorry. Hopefully this time will go fast or I can convince my Gran that all is well. Until then, I will be missing you.

Neville

Tears welled in her eyes as she reread the letter for the third time. No parents, no Harry, no Weasley's, and now no Neville. She held out a prayer that she at least had Remus still. She tried to fire call but no one answered. But at the time she realized it was rather close to the full moon. He most likely was facing it with no wolfsbane, no animagus friends, and no mate. This would probably be one of his hardest transformations to date. Not to mention he had a young son. She knew that Tonk's mother Andromeda was helping him. She wondered if Tonks favored her mother in looks or personality. She had never met the witch, so she didn't know. She was just glad Remus had some support even if she wasn't there.

She dreaded going to funerals, but felt like she needed to be at them all. Harry would have if he weren't in a coma. She knew Colin's was in the muggle world, him being a muggleborn, his parents would want it that way. She made a plan to visit Ollivander's afterwards. She needed a wand. Not being able to do more than a few spells wandless was rather annoying. Another fitful night's rest. Tossing, turning, having a nightmare about Bellatrix, waking up to feathers and wings. It had taken her a full hour to calm down enough for them to go away. Not seeing how sleep would be possible again she got up, spent some time cleaning the second floor. The muggle work calming her frazzled nerves. She stopped for the day, and cleaned up to head to the funeral. As Neville had warned he stood with his back to her and pretended she didn't exist. She wished others would do the same. Instead they grumbled and sneered and whispered. The one Ravenclaw girl kept making the sign of the cross every time she saw her. When it was over she went to the Leaky Cauldron. She waited for someone to open the way into Diagon Alley before heading to Ollivander's. She was glad he had finally reopened. It took some time but she finally had a new wand. Ebony wood, Phoenix feather core 10 ¾ inches long with slight flexibility. It was a complete change from her previous wand, but it felt right in her hand. She would have happily paid the required Galleons, but Ollivander waved it off in thanks of her helping with his rescue from Malfoy Manor.

Because she had the excess galleons she made a stop at Flourish and Blotts. While he didn't have much in the way of helping her he did give her a potential lead. He suggested she check out the magical library in New York. That it was one of the best in the magical world. She made a mental note to maybe check it out. She was just exiting the shop when she glimpsed a witch to her left. Whipping her head that way she blinked a couple times. There walking through the alley, alive and free was Bellatrix Lestrange. Her breathing became harsh and her eyes went glassy. Suddenly she was back in Malfoy Manor under the crazy bints wand. Her body shook, and she could feel the fire racing through her veins. In an effort to defend herself, her wings shot out, her clothes automatically becoming the armour from the battle. Her feet left the ground as eyes glowed with power. Hands open, fingers splayed wide, balls of raw power forming. Those in the alley became aware of the danger. Some ran for cover, while others started firing spells at her. Hermione held the raw power until it seemed to explode outwards, decimating half the alley. Several were injured but thankfully none were killed. Hermione fell to her knees, weakened from the outburst. Delicate hands reached out to her helping her stand. The woman grasped her tightly and disapparted. Hermione vaguely registered the sand beneath her feet before blackness engulfed her.

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

**This was a massive chapter for me. But there were just so many things I wanted to happen, and show the extent of the alienation she is feeling. Eventually I had to stop myself. The next chapter is already planned out so it shouldn't take too long to write it. Marvel fans be patient. It won't be much longer before they come into play! Hopefully this muse keeps inspiring me like it has. Please review, comment, ask questions. I love and appreciate the feedback! **


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned anything you may recognize. Unfortunately I am only allowed to play with the characters.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 4: Little Dove**

Waking up in a place you don't remember even go to is confusing to say the least. Her eyes took in the familiar bedroom. The light blue wallpapered walls, cream colored trim and salty sea air meant she was at Shell Cottage. She had stayed here for a few weeks while recovering from Malfoy Manor. The question was how had she ended up here? She remembered going to Diagon Alley. She remembered Ollivander's, Flourish & Blotts. She remembers stepping out into the alley only to see...BELLATRIX! Her heart raced, breathing sped up and the world tilted on its axis. How was she alive? She saw Molly take her down, saw the witch explode. Why was she walking freely down the alley? The door opened and small hands pressed cool cloths to her head. A soft voice with a french accent calmed her.

"Shh. Shh Petite Colombe. You are safe, here with family."

That name. Petite Colombe. Little Dove. Fleur had begun to call her that when she stayed with her and Bill. She remembered the story Fleur had told her about finding an injured dove as a young girl and nursing it back to health. She had said the dove was so determined to fly that it often tried too soon. She had claimed Hermione had the same fierce determination. Fleur had figured the trio was planning to leave much sooner than they should. But she had also known that no matter what she thought, her Little Dove would fly when she was ready.

Fleur helped her sit up and held out a glass of cool water from a small lunch tray. Hermione sipped it slowly, the coolness quenching her parched throat. Sitting the glass back on the tray, Fleur held her hands. She was grateful that her clothes had been changed into something more comfortable.

"Fleur. Oh Godric! I don't know what's happening. The whole world seems to be going crazy. People are treating me like a pariah, I haven't been allowed to see Harry, and I have no idea what is going on anymore. The rest of the Weasley's either ignore me or refuse to associate with me. Mrs. Weasley was so mean! And then there are the bloody wings and the strange symbol. And all the books have failed me. I can't find anything!"

Fleur pulled on her arms and wrapped her in a hug. One of her hands stroked her hair as Hermione sobbed. The bed dipped as Bill Weasley sat on the other side.

"Don't cry love. We will figure it out. Now first thing first. While you are already upset and before you come across it later, the scene from the alley made the papers. Rita Skeeter, no surprise there. She wasn't flattering. Apparently you are a demented harpy. He held out the paper to show her.

_**Demented Harpy Destroys Alley**_

_You may have missed the show yesterday, but fear not dear readers. I was there and witnessed it all. The incident began when one Hermione Granger exited Flourish and Blotts. The former Gryffindor made headlines in previous years when she played the famous Viktor Krum and Harry Potter off one another in a vicious love triangle. The heartbreaking hussy then spent all of last year hiding out with two boys. Poor Harry Potter was once again forced to share her affections with Ronald Weasley. It is rumored the three slept in a tent. We have to wonder how she worked out her sleeping arrangement. But I digress. You may also remember hearing the rumor that the harlot also became a half harpy during the Final Battle at Hogwarts. Apparently these events have addled her mind. And yesterday it all came to a head when the former Gryffindor went crazy. As to what set her off this time, I have heard that it is because the book she wanted was not available. Such a simple thing triggered a large reaction. She transformed into her harpy form right in the middle of the alley! Her large wings sprang forth, toppling anyone in their path. Many drew wands to try to contain the mad bird when she let forth a large magical pulse. Those who were unable to escape the crazed witch were all blown back. Several reported injuries occurred before a hooded woman disapparated with the half harpy. I must ask dear readers, if she is set off by such a small thing, is anyone in the wizarding world safe? Aurors suggest avoiding any sort of confrontation with the witch. I for one must agree. I will not be around her for fear of the danger. _

Huffing in irritation, she crumpled the paper. Bill patted her knee.

"I know, she is a nasty, vicious woman."

"She truly is. Honestly she has it out for me."

Bill and Fleur shared a concerned look before asking what exactly had happened. Hermione told them everything. If anyone could help her understand what was happening it was them. She explained the battle from her perspective, the events after. How she had been treated, the strange dreams, being barred from seeing Harry, Neville's letter and seeing Bellatrix the day before. They listened and asked questions, never once looking at her as if they didn't believe her.

"Oh Petite Colombe. You have had a terrible time."

"I can assure you that it was not Bellatrix you saw in the alley. If it was someone who looked close enough to her, it could have potentially triggered your reaction. It is close to the full moon, perhaps it was Andromeda? She may have been trying to find some place to purchase Wolfsbane for Remus. She does favor Bellatrix. I can ask for sure if it will help alleviate your fear. Now, you mentioned a symbol? May I see it?"

"Oh of course! I had Luna draw it for me so I could compare. It's in my bag."

Fleur retrieved her bag from a nearby cabinet. Hermione reached her hand in and pulled out her notes and the drawing Luna had made her. Passing it to Bill she sat the notes on the bed. She watched as Bill studied the drawing before he passed it to Fleur.

"It looks vaguely familiar. At least the top symbol does. I am not sure where I have seen it. Definitely not in ancient runes class. When I go to work tomorrow I will look through some of my books. Maybe I can find it. Whatever this is, I don't think it is a bad or evil thing. People just fear things that are new and different."

Hope shined in her eyes. She gripped one of his hands and bit her lip

"If anyone took the time to actually study the events they would see it. Yes you transformed during the heat of battle, but you only targeted the Death Eaters. You saved many more. If you were evil, it wouldn't have mattered who was who, you would have targeted everyone, spared no one."

Hermione looked between the two. She knew they understood what it was like to be different. What it was like to be treated badly because of it. Poor Fleur had dealt with Mrs. Weasley's dislike for far longer. She gave a small smile. The rest of the evening passed in comfortable companionship. They discussed many things. Fleur explained what it was like when her veela form showed. She and Bill talked about different curses he had broken recently. He had been able to find out a little about Harry. He was being kept in a special secured room. He had fallen into a coma due to magical exhaustion and the backlash of Voldemort dying. Fred had woken up and was set to be released soon, making George quite happy. Hermione was grateful for the news. She had helped Fleur with dinner, and then took a walk along the shore. She wrapped her borrowed shaw tighter around her. The night was peaceful and calm. It was honestly the first good night Hermione had had since the battle. She wasn't alone, she was safe, she was well cared for and there were two people who saw her as their sister inside the cottage.

She dreamed of the strange female warrior again. She was in a grand hall for a feast. The woman had knelt and if Hermione had to guess (considering she couldn't understand what they were saying) swore fealty to her king. He crowned her before allowing her to rise. As the dream began to fade, she saw the glint of a familiar circlet. She woke up knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep again that night. Retrieving the circlet from her bag, she sat on the beach wondering if the dreams were more than dreams. Could they be memories? The sun had begun to rise when Fleur found her. She sat beside her and passed her a cup of coffee. The two leaning on each other in comfortable silence.

Fleur and Bill both left for work. Hermione debated about what she should do. Today was the funeral for Lavender Brown, a roommate for 6 years. She had been brutally attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Hermione had blasted him off her but it was too little too late. Hermione had felt awful that her wounds had been too severe for her to overcome. She had tried her best to heal her, but she was no healer. Hermione showered, dressed and apparted away. She kept a neutral look on her face, trying not to draw attention to herself. Unfortunately it didn't help. Before she could even say her goodbyes to her former roommate, she was asked to leave by a distraught Pavarti. She blamed her for not doing more to help Lavender. Hermione could feel the familiar burning in her shoulders and quickly disapparated.

She made it safely to Shell Cottage before it happened. Tears fell as her wings made their appearance. Hermione fell to her knees, clutching the ruined pieces of her jumper to her chest. She was grateful she had worn a racerback tank top that somehow worked just right for the wings to emerge without destroying it also. Fingers lightly stroked her wings. Hermione looked up to see Fleur's eyes looking over them.

"You are beautiful Petite Colombe. Your wings are a physical embodiment of your loveliness."

Hermione shared a watery smile as she wiped away her tears. She listened closely to Fleur, her voice soothing. Eventually she relaxed and the wings retracted. Fleur walked around behind her, tracing what she could see of the tattoo on her back. She helped her up and brought her into the cottage. After they had eaten she experimented with the control Hermione had over her wings. She managed to bring them out once at will, but otherwise they only appeared when she was emotionally upset. Bill returned from work and brought with him a book. He set it on the table in front of her.

"I knew it looked vaguely familiar. It took awhile to find it, but go ahead and look. I marked it for you."

Hands trembling she opened the book to the marked page.

_More commonly known as The Helm of Awe (Old Norse Ægishjálmr, pronounced "EYE-gis-hiowlm-er") is one of the most mysterious and powerful symbols in Norse mythology. The name Ægishjálmr is derived from the God of the ocean of Jotunheim, Aegir. Jotunheim is the land of the frost giants, one of the nine realms of Norse mythology. Just looking at its form, without any prior knowledge of what that form symbolizes, is enough to inspire awe and fear: eight arms that look like spiked tridents radiate out from a central point, as if defending that central point by going on the offensive against any and all hostile forces that surround it._

_The magic behind the Helm of Awe lies in the runes that make it up. The Norse runic language is one fraught with symbolism and magic. The symbols that make up the Helm of Awe, Algiz (or Elhaz), also known as the z-rune. While Elhaz is commonly called the life rune, when placed upside down, it represents death._

_Not only do the outside arms around the Helm of Awe make up Elhaz runes, but the larger spokes of this wheel also show the rune. Because of this, it's thought that not only does this symbol invoke physical protection, but mental and spiritual as well. After all, conquering your own fear is the first step to making your enemies fear you. Often the symbol was worn between warriors brows as a sign of strength in battle. It was believed that it would grant them victory in battle. The trident looking arms of the symbol are Z runes which symbolize protection and victory in battle. The circle in the center is meant to symbolize the protection of those bearing the Helm of Awe._

She reread the passage a second time. The illustration did match the symbol between the wings. Well at least they had some direction to go in now. She noted a few things to explore at a later date.

"I couldn't find the symbol with the wings, but perhaps they are just what they are, wings. I didn't have anything else on Norse Mythology though, but maybe you can find something?"

Hermione was determined to do just that. She needed to run a few errands tomorrow anyways. Most of her clothes were not worth saving after the year on the run. She needed to make a trip to muggle London for more. Until her parents estate cleared, she would have to go easy. She should check on that too.

She had heard rumors while she had been helping at Hogwarts. No one had recovered a body for Professor Snape. This meant he was alive. She had been able to save him. Technically that meant he owed her a life debt. She didn't want to use it if she could avoid it, but she had been thinking about what caused her change. High emotional stress. Right now there was alot of that. She needed a way to dampen it. Maybe if she suppressed her magic to an extent she could avoid triggering the change. She wrote a note to Professor Snape asking to meet. He was an honorable man. He would meet her if nothing more than to settle his debt. She borrowed Fleur's owl Thibault to deliver it. She received a short note agreeing to meet tomorrow. She penned a time and place not far from the entrance to the alley (12 pm at a small cafe in muggle London).

The next morning she rose early, as per her usual. A light breakfast and a quick note to Fleur and Bill and she was off to muggle London. She stopped by an atm to check her balance and noticed that the amount available showed the estate had processed. At least now she would be able to get what she needed without financially worrying. She stopped in several stores and replaced most of what she needed. Stepping into an alley she put all her purchases in her beaded bag and checked the time. She had just enough time to pop into a bookstore before she headed to meet Professor Snape. She grabbed several books on Norse Mythology to study. Hurrying on she ordered a pastry and a coffee then sat at an outdoor table to await the Professor. Hermione had made herself comfortable when she noticed Professor Snape approach. She briefly waved and invited him to sit. She watched as his hand waved briefly and she realized he had just cast a wandless, wordless muffilato.

"Hello Sir. Would you like a coffee or pastry?"

"No thank you Miss Granger."

"Thank you for meeting me. I can use your expertise. I am not sure if you have heard what has happened to me lately?"

He nodded at her, "I had heard, and though most of what the Prophet publishes is drivel, I assume there was an incident in the alley."

"Yes sure. I have found such incidents seem to happen when I am highly emotional. I am working on learning to control my emotions, and practicing occlumency. I am nervous about going out in public. I have felt on edge all day, and it is troubling. I was wondering if there was a way to dampen my magic? Partially, for the wizarding world, and totally for the muggle world. Temporarily of course."

He raised one dark brow, as he considered his words.

"I assume you would need it for multiple usages? Something inconspicuous of course? There is a way. But you must realize that dampening or blocking your magic can have side effects?"

"Yes sir. I am aware that my magic will build the longer I dampen it. The longer I leave it dampened, the weaker my control will be again. I would have to retrain it. If I go too long without using it, it can potentially discharge."

"Indeed. It is not something that should be done lightly. The consequences may be painful. To you, and to those around you should the discharge happen."

"What physical effects on me could I expect?"

"It starts lightly. Itching under the skin, the jittery feeling that you just can't shake. Then it starts to feel as though your whole body aches. It will feel as though your arms or legs are asleep. Then there is the most dangerous effect, numbness. The numbness usually precedes a discharge."

Hermione nodded. Taking it all in. She debated talking to him about her plan, but changed her mind. The less anyone knew, the better. She thanked him for his time, and gathered her things. She bid him good day and turned to leave.

"Miss Granger!"

"Yes sir?"

"You didn't mention the debt. What is it you wish of me? I do not like being indebted."

Hermione gave him a small smile.

"Severus Snape, I Hermione Granger do hereby release you of any and all debts owed me. So mote it be."

She saw the surprise on his face, and could tell when the weight of the debt lifted.

"Why?"

"Because you are truly, finally free. You deserve to live the life you want. I could never ask you to do anything more."

As she walked off she could feel him watching her. She knew she had caught him off guard. But any man who had to live nearly 20 years under the will of two others deserved to be free.

She went to bed that night feeling better. She did a bit of reading in the books she had purchased while eating breakfast the next morning. Before Bill left for work she asked if he could deliver a letter to the goblins. She wanted to make amends for the damage they had caused during the breakout. She felt it was only right. She spent the day reading. Both the books she had purchased and one about dampening the magic. Bill had it in his bookcase. She guessed it was for his curse breaking. She transfigured two strings into bracelets. One silver, one gold. She took them outside, away from the cottage incase the spell caused anything to happen. She was going to have to use her blood to seal the magic in the bracelets. She did the silver one first. She would wear this one to partially dampen her magic. Hopefully stopping any outbursts in the wizarding world. The second one, the gold one she intended to wear with the silver while in the muggle world. The two should effectively hide her magic enough that she would be safe. Once the spell was done, she healed her hand and went back in the cottage.

Tonight was the full moon. While Bill did not transform, he did have some of the lupine qualities. Especially closer to the full moon. She decided to fix dinner for him and Fleur to thank them for allowing her to stay and for all their help. She made sure to make his steak a lot more rare than hers and Fleurs. She finished it with baked potatoes, a salad, glazed carrots and some of her favorite rolls (a recipe from her grandmother). For dessert she made a batch of brownies.

When they had returned from work, he handed her a reply from the goblins. They had totalled up what the trio owed in restitution fees, and split it three ways. It was considerably less than she had expected. Bill said they were willing to assume some of the cost because their system had been flawed. If she used the settlement from her Parent's estate, she would still have plenty left. She immediately signed the contract agreeing to the terms. She added a note that she would be in to pay the amount owed in the morning. It would be an opportunity to try out the silver dampening bracelet.

Shortly after dinner, Bill and Fleur shut themselves in for the night. She silently thanked Godric for the silencing charms. Fleur had admitted it made him unable to keep his hands off her. Hermione could agree with that. He had barely let go of her to eat. There was a brief moment when she was sure that he was going to make Fleur eat dinner while sitting in his lap. It made her giggle a bit, but it also made her long for someone to share her heart with. Maybe she would find someone after she got all this mess straightened up. She said a quick prayer for Remus. Godric knew tonight would be hard on him. A tap at the window caught her attention. She opened it, and took the note from the owl. It was from Kingsley. He told her that she and the boys would both receive Order of Merlin's First Class when Harry came out of his coma. Thinking of Harry made her wish she could see him. But after her last conversation with Mrs. Weasley, she knew that wasn't possible. Sighing, she settled in bed with her reading.

She drifted off to sleep with the book in hand. After breakfast, she showered and set off for Gringotts. She was wearing the cloak she had borrowed from Bill. It was long, and the hood covered her hair and shadowed her face. She managed to walk unnoticed to the bank. Once inside she pulled her hood back and waited her turn at the counter. She was escorted by a goblin back to a side office. The goblin stood at the door watching until the transaction was complete. She knew until everything was paid on her end that she would be watched closely. She apologized to the Goblin who came in to help her, Sharprock. He would arrange the transfer of funds from her muggle account to her vault, there the goblins would extract the agreed amount. Once it was all arranged she left the office. She was just putting the hood up on her cloak when she was yanked out the door by her arm. She regained her balance and came face to face with an angry Ron Weasley.

"You have some nerve Hermione. You never should have agreed to the terms of that contract. How do you think I am going to pay that amount huh?"

"That is not my problem Ronald. How you repay your share of the debt is up to you. I did what was right for me."

"What's right for you. Merlin you are so selfish Hermione. What about me? What about Harry? Have you even been by to see him? Have you even tried to contact me?"

"Selfish? Are you kidding me? As soon as I was able to, I flooed to St. Mungo's. Guess what Ronald, I was barred from seeing Harry. Your Mother saw to that. Did you know she is his magical guardian? As for you? When I was unable to find your family, I left a letter. I tried to floo to the Burrow when your mother returned, only to be told to never show my face there again. Yet you could have contacted me at any time!"

His face was red as his anger rose. She could feel the effects of the silver bracelet on her wrist. So far so good.

"Yeah? Well maybe she had a good reason! Why would we want some harpy associated with our good name? We are war heroes! Harry belongs with us. We are his family. Not some half bird freak of magic."

"You know what Ronald. Once upon a time, I dreamed about having a family like yours. With lots of siblings, parents who were magical like me. But I realized, I would rather be a muggleborn. Because I never take anything in the magical world for granted. Unlike you who thinks everything should just be handed to him. I earned everything. I sacrificed all that I had to make sure you and Harry made it through this war alive. How do you thank me? You ridicule me, drag me around, call me names and demean everything about me. If that is what you call a friend? Then good riddance."

She turned and fled to the apparation point. The bracelet worked. She had proven that. Godric was she happy it had. When she reached the cottage she walked down the path towards the shore. She pulled the bracelet off and felt her magic rushing through her, calling her wings forth. She quickly pulled off Bills cloak. She had taken to wearing the racerback tanks to be on the safe side. The wings stretched, and fluttered. They flapped and lifted her feet from the sand. Concentrating on how they moved she worked her wings to make herself go a little higher. She flew out over the water, in case she lost control. The water would be a softer landing than the sand. She practiced a bit longer, getting braver. She flew higher, truly enjoying flying for the first time. Just knowing she controlled it made her much more comfortable. She flew for about a half hour before she slowly worked her way down for a landing. There she concentrated on her breathing, using Fleur's techniques. Her wings disappeared around the 20 minute mark. She was improving.

She didn't say much that night at dinner. She was still preoccupied thinking about what had happened that day, and Tonk's funeral the following day. That night she dreamed she was fighting these huge blue giants. They had received no warning before the attack happened. She jumped right in the fray, her sword swinging. She had managed to take down several of the enemy when she turned back to alert her other sister warriors. The blow caught her off guard. The sword was pulled from her stomach as she fell to her knees. She saw the guards fighting and her fellow sister warriors begin to join in. The tides turned in their favor and they were able to be victorious. But victory came with a price. Her fellow sister warriors had been slow to rally, and many citizens were slain. The King banished all the sister warriors. She was sure the heartbreak would kill her before she bled out. She whimpered as the King passed. He stopped, turned to her, grabbed her beautiful wings and ripped them from her back. She cried out as he kicked her body off the bridge. She was falling with no way to save herself. Hermione woke sweating, her wings out before she hit the ground in her dream.

**AUTHOR NOTES:**

**Another long one! So much is going on, as I try to set up what is coming. I hope no one is getting lost. Please ask questions, read and review. They keep my muse quite happy! Next chapter is being written! **


	6. Chapter 6

**AUTHOR NOTES:** Usually I do these at the end but just wanted to say a few things! I am so glad you are all loving the story! I have quite a bit more planned, and several things that just come to me as I go along. I love seeing reviews and follows, they keep me writing. As a writer it can be really discouraging to have this story in your head and when you start to share it there is very little love for it. It really makes it hard to want to keep writing that story. So be sure to spread the love for any (and not just mine) stories that you like! It may just be what that particular writer needs! Now as I am sure you have all seen coming….New York is on the way! Depending where my muse leads me, it may happen in this chapter or the next. Now as to a couple of questions that have been asked:

Anthraquinblue- Yes! There are more effects. She just hasn't really had time or opportunity to discover them. At this point she is still trying to deal with the aftermath of war, and what feels like her world crumbling around her because of something she had no control over. Once she comes to terms with what she is other powers will come.

Nessa Kane- Clever one you are! Yes. It will happen shortly!

USUAL DISCLAIMER APPLIES!

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 5: Headlines and Heartaches**

The morning had not started great. Waking up like she had from that nightmare. Or memory, or whatever the strange dreams were. She couldn't calm her racing heart enough to get the wings to retract. If she could simply turn her mind off, then perhaps that would help. But her mind kept replaying the last several weeks. The stress, fear, anger, everything kept her emotions too high. Fleur found her rocking in a corner, her wings still out nearly an hour later. She didn't really know what Fleur had said to her. Just remembers the soothing tone in which she talked. Eventually she stopped rocking, her mind calmed and slowly the wings retracted. Fleurs hands rubbed her arms, and up to her shoulders. Her fingers brushed against the tattoo on her back and they both felt the subsequent zap that caused her to yank her hand back.

"Oh Gods! I'm so sorry Fleur! I don't know what happened! It was an accident, I swear!"

Fleur simply grabbed both her hands and squeezed.

"Petite Colombe, I know you didn't do it. We just have to be careful not to touch it, yes?"

Hermione gave a tearful sniffle as she nodded. Fleur wiped the remaining tears and stood, pulling Hermione to her feet.

"Come now. Bill is waiting for his breakfast. You go wash up, I will finish cooking and we can all sit down together."

Hermione nodded again. She collected her things and went to get dressed. She was on her way down the stairs when Fleur's voice reached her. She wasn't talking, so much as hissing in french. Something had obviously upset her. Hermione cautiously sat down and watched the angry woman rant. Bill grimaced and slid the morning paper to her.

_**Harpy Harasses Hero**_

_The Harpy has been at it again! This time she was seen in Diagon Alley harassing none other than hero of the recent war, Ronald Weasley. The altercation occurred just as our hero was leaving Gringotts, where rumor has it he was making restorations for any damages that may have incurred while during the war. Such a selfless, giving, gorgeous specimen ladies! Someone needs to snatch this rare find up! Heartless like the Harpy she is, Miss Granger proceeded to raise her voice and aspersed his character. She proceeded to spout foolishness claiming that as a Muggleborn she was better than him, a Pureblood. She was overheard by witnesses of accusing him and his family from not allowing her access to Harry Potter. I ask Dear Readers, hasn't she done enough to The Boy Who Won? The question we should be asking ourselves is who is next on her list? Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter were both friends of hers. What would she say or do to someone she didn't like?_

Hermione was furious. She was yet again the victim and Skeeter had made her out as the bad guy. Worse yet she made her sound like some crazy, blood status obsessed witch. And calling her a Harpy! Gods she wasn't a Harpy! Hadn't the woman taken a simple Care of Magical Creatures class? Honestly at least pick up a book and do some research. She snarled in anger. That stupid bint just kept on saying these things about her. Apparently the time she had spent trapped in a glass jar wasn't long or harsh enough. She wondered if she could ask Kingsley for help. Though he hadn't specifically sought her out other than the brief letter, she knew he was busy. Rounding up death eaters, taking over as Minister. He had his hands full. No, she couldn't bother him with this either. Hermione suddenly found herself squeezed tight between Bill and Fleur. Both whispering calming words in her ears. Luckily it was enough to combat the feeling she got just before her wings showed up. She managed to calm down. Looking at the paper made her raise her hand, casting a wordless, wandless incendio. The smouldering paper made her feel better. Bill and Fleur released her from their embrace. Fleur sat beside her vanishing all traces of the paper. Bill made himself useful and set breakfast on the table.

Though she really wasn't too hungry she made herself eat a bit. Today was the day they would lay Tonks to rest. Her heart ached for Remus, and tiny baby Teddy. They ate in silence, each dreading the upcoming funeral. All the remaining members of The Order were going to show up today. Hermione was glad so many would be there to pay respects and support Remus. Finishing breakfast, she gathered the dishes and flicked her wand to set them washing. She made trip upstairs to retrieve her beaded bag and silver bracelet just to be safe. Sliding it on she could feel the effects immediately. One last glance in the mirror and she straightened her shoulders and headed to the door.

They apparated together, determined to stick close to each other. There were already a lot of people her. She was looking to see who was all here when she felt Bill grab her hand.

"I just wanted to warn you that Andromeda is here. She does resemble her crazy sister in looks only. You must remember that Bellatrix is dead, and Andromeda won't anyone. She loves Teddy and Remus and has been there for them this whole time. If seeing her is too harsh of a reminder, let me know and we can leave ok?"

Hermione nodded, took a calming breath and looked to the front where Remus was. He was clutching a sleeping Teddy close to his chest while tears streamed from his eyes. Beside him stood a woman with black, wildly curling hair. When she looked up, Hermione's breath hitched. She did favor Bellatrix, but knowing it wasn't her she looked for the differences. Andromeda's curls, while still a bit wild were much tamer than her sisters. Her cheekbones more refined, and she lacked that complete nutter look her sister used to have. She spotted the rest of the Weasley's to the side. It was good to see Fred standing beside George. Knowing how close he came to losing his life seemed to have George keeping him close. The service started. Remus made it until the end before he completely broke down. It had still been a lovely ceremony. Beautiful and unique, just like Tonks had been. Slowly people were beginning to trickle away. Hermione conjured a multi colored wreath and walked forward. Remus was on his knees beside her grave. He had handed Teddy off sometime during the service. Hermione lay her wreath down, and knelt beside him. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug, trying to comfort him. His hands pushed her away. He looked at her brokenly.

"Why? Why her? What did she ever do to anyone? Why would I finally allow myself to care just to lose her? What was the point? Why spare me?"

Hermione's throat felt thick with unshed tears.

"I am so sorry Remus. I wish I could have saved her, taken her place, anything spare you this loss."

She reached her hand out again, but thought twice before touching him. His voice took on a harsh raspy quality when he next spoke.

"It should have never happened in the first place. She should still be here, raising our son. Nothing you say can make it better. Just leave me alone. Let me mourn my wife in peace."

She nodded and stood. Walking away, she glanced back. Remus had his head bowed, one hand on her grave. She rejoined Bill and Fleur as they left for home. The night was quiet. Each lost in their own thoughts. Bill mentioned that the twins had told him Harry was doing well. He was regaining his magical reserves and all his injuries had healed. They were going to attempt to wake him when his energy level was back to normal. She was glad he was on his way back to normal. She missed him, and could only hope that when this was all over that he would still want to be part of her life. She skipped dinner that evening, fatigue catching up with her. She had talked Fleur into allowing her to have a dose of dreamless sleep. She didn't need nightmares or strange dreams that night.

Morning dawned, and Hermione was pleasantly surprised to find she had slept an entire night. She couldn't recall the last time that had happened. Thank Godric for Dreamless sleep potion. She finished her morning routine and headed downstairs. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had slept in this morning. Bill was trudging down the stairs, his eyes have closed as he made his way to the coffee pot. Having stayed here often enough, Hermione knew not to speak to him until he had at least 2 full cups first. She chuckled to herself as she thought how different he and Fleur were in their morning routines. Fleur woke, ready to go each morning, a smile on her face. Once upon a time that had annoyed Hermione. Until she had gotten to know the woman. She regretted all the bad things she had thought or said about her behind her back. They had sat on the beach one night talking and Hermione had felt the urge to apologize. She had greatly misunderstood the older woman. The turning point for her had been Fleur standing up to Molly Weasley when she assumed the wedding would no longer happen. It was clear to see the love Fleur had for Bill. They had the type of relationship she wanted someday. They shared many common interests, were each other's best friends, always had each other's backs. They looked out for each other, told each other everything. She wanted someone who could share her thirst for knowledge, someone who could talk to her no matter what, someone to laugh with, someone who always had her back in a fight. In some aspects, Harry and to some extent Ron had filled the void. She loved Harry like a brother, and she prayed that when he woke up he wanted to be in her life. Right now all she had was Bill and Fleur. They were great, but she couldn't stay here forever.

An owl tapped at the window, delivering the morning paper. She took it, and offered the owl a treat before it flew off. Fleur was just coming down the stairs when Hermione sat at the table and opened the paper, and instantly regretted it. There on the front page was a picture taken at the service yesterday of Remus pushing her away.

_**Homewrecker or Homicidal?**_

_Yes you read that right. That is the question I find myself asking today. It is nothing new to the floozy Hermione Granger to have the relationships she so desperately wants by any means necessary. You may recall the rather nasty love triangle while a mere teen involving the Boy Who Won and the famous Seeker, Viktor Krum. It was rumoured that she had given one or both of the young men a love potion. Then there was the last year, which she spent bouncing back and forth between The Boy Who Won and his best friend and war hero, Ronald Weasley. This time Miss Granger seems to be trying to sink her talons into the recently widowed Remus Lupin. Not only was it revealed a few years ago that Mr. Lupin was a werewolf, but he is also twenty years older than Miss Granger. Sources indicate that the two had a potential lovers quarrel while he was mourning his wife. Was Miss Granger being shameless like usual and attempting to lure the older man into her web of entanglements? Or is there something far more sinister at play here? How did Nymphadora Lupin nee Tonks die? She was a talented young Auror, rising through the ranks. She had training most others in the battle had not had. Did Miss Granger think if she eliminated the woman she could take her place? Or is Miss Granger truly innocent? We shall have to see how this all plays out. I have my suspicions, and I know you have yours. The next couple of months will prove her guilt, or innocence. _

She was trying her hardest to keep her wings in. She wasn't wearing her silver bracelet yet, having decided she didn't need it yet. So far the wings hadn't made an appearance. But something else was definitely happening. It started with the hairs on her arms standing on end. It moved up her neck, into her hair. Her eyes were scrunched tight, all her focus was on fighting the feeling. All around, the room became charged, electricity crackling in the air. Hermione's hair seemed to take on life as it began moving and emitting sparks. Hands clenched in tight fists, she fought with everything she had. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, the urge to cry out starting to overwhelm her. Fleur attempted to touch her to calm her down, and ended up zapped hard enough to knock her back. Bill helped Fleur up, shouting at her to open the door. When it was done, he scooped Hermione up. Screaming as the electricity passed through him, he managed to get her outside and away from the cottage. He let go and crawled away from her as quickly as he could. When she could hold it no longer, the energy exploded from her. Her wings shot out. Lightning arced from the sky, striking the sand all around her. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her eyes wide and glowing pure white. Her hands unclenched and lightning shot from her fingertips. For nearly 10 minutes, the storm raged on. Until she was spent and collapsed in the sand unconscious.

She woke almost three days later. Head pounding she opens her eyes slowly. This seems familiar, she thought. She remembered the last time she had felt like this upon waking. Her mind replayed the events, though they were a bit fuzzy, she knew one thing for certain. She had hurt Bill and Fleur. She was a danger to the very people she loved! Oh Gods! What was she going to do? She laid in bed enveloped in the dark, quiet of the house. She fumbled for her silver bracelet on the nightstand and slipped it on. She hadn't told the others what the bracelet did, but she suspected Bill knew. Or he at least suspected what it did. Her thoughts were a jumble. She would have to leave. This was for certain. But go where, and how? She fiddled with the bracelet as she thought. Eventually she sat up, lit the lantern in her room and drew out her notes and a quill. It was a small note in a corner that caught her attention. New York. She had been there once as a small child before Hogwarts. She had gone with her parents to a dental conference. No one knew her. She could start over, a whole new life. No more living under the stigmas here in Wizarding Britain. No more being looked down on for being a Muggleborn, no more horrid headlines, no more people turning their backs on her. In fact, maybe no more magic at all. What had magic given her anyways? Scars, and judgement. It had taken almost everything from her. Her family, her friends, her safe place. It had almost cost her very life. She had could go without the magic. She had the bracelets to ensure it. She would just take them off once in awhile to release the buildup.

She could live as a muggle. She had done it every summer until she had turned 17. She could have probably gotten away with using magic at home earlier than she had. It was the effects of the time turner on her age. It hadn't been verified, but she was sure it had aged her at least a year and a half. She had kept meticulous track of days, times it was used. She guessed she was actually already 20, soon to be 21. Old enough to leave if she wanted. If she was going muggle, she needed to do it from the start. Lock her wand up so it wasn't used and couldn't be traced. She would leave notes for the few who may care. Bill and Fleur for sure. Harry in case he cared. Maybe Neville. Once he came of age he could decide to look for her. She hadn't heard from Luna, but the rumor was that she and her father had gone looking for some creature or other. Neville could tell her if she asked. Tomorrow would be her last day as Hermione Granger. That fake ID was definitely going to come in handy. That was who she was. Not Hermione Granger. As far as she was concerned, Hermione Granger didn't survive the Final Battle.

**AUTHOR NOTES X2**

**Who is ready for New York?! It is so soon! Remember to give her time to settle a bit before expecting anything major to happen! There are some things happening before all the action starts up. Thank you all for sticking with me. Read, review, ask questions, etc. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything you recognize. J.K Rowlings and Marvel are the lucky owners. I just enjoy playing with their creations.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 6: Howlers and Houdini Acts**

Hermione was drawn out of her thoughts by Fleur. She entered the room and was delighted to see Hermione finally awake.

"Fleur-I'm sorry. I am so so very sorry. I swear I didn't mean to hurt you or Bill. I tried to keep it in."

"It's bien. Do not worry your head Petite Colombe. Bill and I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt us."

Hermione's hand trembled as she reached for Fleur. The older woman drew her into an embrace and held her for a moment.

"Now, why don't you go freshen up while I fix you up a bite?"

"Sounds good Fleur."

The door closed behind Fleur and Hermione gingerly got out of bed. Her body was sore. A hot shower would help loosen her muscles. She gathered up her necessities and headed for the bathroom. She had just managed to get the shampoo worked through her thick tresses when the shrieking voice of Molly Weasley could be heard. At first she was worried that Molly was actually at Shell Cottage.

"WILLIAM WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU HARBOR THAT HEARTLESS HARPY! HAVE YOU NOT SHAMED THIS FAMILY ENOUGH? I WAS ABLE TO OVERLOOK THAT CREATURE YOU MARRIED. BUT THIS IS TOO FAR! THAT HARPY HAS HURT THIS FAMILY FOR THE LAST TIME! IF YOU DO NOT GET RID OF HER IMMEDIATELY, I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DISOWN YOU. DO NOT TEST ME ON THIS!"

Tears welled in her eyes. They blended with the water running down her face. This just reaffirmed that she leave. Bill's relationship with his family had been a bit strained anyways. She couldn't ask him to make a decision. She finished her shower to the angry hissing voices of Bill and Fleur.

She made her way down the stairs cautiously. Bill's face was flushed red.

"Bill-"

"No. Don't say it. I know you heard that banshee. But she is wrong. You did nothing wrong. Besides," he smirked at his wife, "it's already been taken care of."

"What did you do?"

"I sent her a howler back. In French. Threatening my husband and saying awful things about someone I consider my little sister. Honestly."

Hermione couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out. Leave it to Fleur to send her a howler back. In French no less. She dearly cared for these two. She would miss them, but still felt like she had to leave. The Wizarding World held nothing for her anymore.

After breakfast she slipped both the silver and gold bracelets in her bag. She made her excuses with Bill and Fleur, and headed to Muggle London. After apparating, she first went to the post office. She needed a P.O Box for this next part. Then she paid a visit to her old neighbor. He was more than happy to help her forge a few documents. Once she paid him a couple hundred pounds that is. She made sure to stay back from the computer just in case her magic messed with it. Soon she had a bank account with a bank that also had a branch in America, all in her new name. Once she had the info in hand she thanked him. As she was leaving, he had turned back towards his computers. She pulled her wand and grimaced. Silently she apologized.

"Obliviate."

Stepping from his house, she pulled the bracelets from her bag. She slipped them on and headed towards the bank her parents used. It took awhile to sort things out at the bank. But soon the account she had previously had was closed. With her assets in hand she carefully walked into a different bank, one that she now had an account with. She deposited funds into the new account, minus a couple hundred pounds to hold her over. The new debit card should arrive to her P.O box in a few days. That took care of money being untraceable. She stopped next at a local library. She walked past the books, her soul begging her to go back. This would be a test. She sat down at one of the computers. A few quick searches got her the info she needed. She signed up to take a test for her GED. She knew she would need it when she left.

After leaving the library, sans books, she did a little shopping and grabbed a bite to eat. She purchased some new luggage, a pair of sturdy hiking boots. She was passing a vintage boutique and the display caught her eye. Normally she wouldn't shop at a place like this but she saw a leather jacket she just couldn't resist. It reminded her of Sirius. She smiled fondly and patted her beaded bag. Inside was Sirius's shrunken motorbike. He had left it to her in his will. Claiming every witch needs to fly. She decided she would definitely learn to ride. She also grabbed a couple shirts to add to the ones she had taken from Grimmauld before they had gone on the run. Harry had once teased her about having a crush on his godfather. But she had only seen him as an honorary cool older brother. She missed the arguments and teasing. She missed his taste in music, insisting that she enjoy it too. To her shock, she had. After he had gone thru the Veil, Harry had insisted she take several of his shirts, and his vinyl collection. Her heart ached. She missed Sirius's easy boyish grin. And Harry. Who as time passed, had more rare moments where she would see the man he would become. As she usually did when she thought about Harry, she said a quick prayer. Both for his speedy recovery and that he would one day want to be in her life. With a heavy heart she headed out to the street and hailed a taxi. The driver was hesitant to leave her in front of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Are you sure this is where you want to go Miss? It doesn't look like there has been a store here for a long time."

"Yes this is the place."

Stepping into the Leaky, she wished she had thought to bring a hooded cloak with her. Instead she tugged the hood of her hoodie up and kept her head ducked. Taking off the gold bracelet and tucking it away, she shrank her packages and headed into Diagon Alley. She was in and out of Scribbulus Writing Implements as quickly as she could be. She had letters she needed to write. She was passing the shop next door and had to quickly duck into Knockturn Alley. There exiting Quality Quidditch Supplies was Ronald Weasley. She desperately wanted to avoid another public confrontation with her former friend. She stepped into the shadows of Knockturn Alley and put her back against a wall, her eyes focused on Ronald as he passed by. As soon as he passed, she shot from the Alley and made it to the apparition point.

That night at dinner, Bill and Fleur surprised her with an unusual pendant. She had never seen anything quite like it.

"What is this made of?"

"Fulgurite. It's what happens when lightning strikes sand in the right conditions. I found several of the unusual clumps after-"

"After my episode."

"Yeah. Anyway, I took it to the bank and one of the Goblin's polished and wove it with the silver to create the pendant. I hope you don't mind, but I cast a few protection spells on it."

"I don't mind. It's lovely Bill. Thank you. I will always wear it and think of you and Fleur."

A half smile appeared on his face as both he and Fleur reached into their shirts.

"I am glad you feel that way. Because I had us all one made. And Fleur added a little something extra."

Hermione examined the other two pendants. Fleur's was similar, but the fulgurite was a different shape. Bills was more of a single polished piece in front of a silver disc.

"What did you add Fleur?"

"Well I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed the idea from you. I used your protein charm on them. They all connect to each other."

Hugs were shared, and Bill gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"That's lovely. They are absolutely perfect. Thank you both!"

The next few days passed by much quicker than she wanted. She tried to spend as much time with Bill and Fleur as she could. She wrote her letters and made her final plans. She knew Bill was suspicious. The curse breaker grabbed her wrist as she tried to walk past one evening.

"You know you can talk to me right? No matter what, I am here for you. I won't pretend to know exactly what you are going through. But I do understand to an extent."

"I know Bill," she sighed, "I know you do. But I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"That's not what you are. Please don't think that. I know you have been upset, and you are planning something. Fleur and I both can feel you pulling away. I wish you would tell us. Let us help you."

"I- Bill, you and Fleur have already done so much for me. There is no way I can ever repay you. But I just….I can't talk about it. I'm sorry."

He sighed heavily, "Ok Hermione. Just know there isn't anything we wouldn't do for you."

She gave him a sad smile and hugged his waist.

"Nor I you."

That night before bed, she quietly packed up all her things, and finished her last letter. She went to bed that night with a heavy heart. She set her wand to vibrate an alarm in case she fell asleep. When it went off a few short hours she sat up. She slipped down the stairs silently. Once in the kitchen, she slipped on her shoes and placed a letter on the table. She quietly tied another letter to Fleur's owl and asked him to deliver to Neville. She took a last look around, a few tears leaking down her cheeks. She headed out to the beach, took one last look at the sea, trying to memorize it. Then she apparated away, her last glimpse of Shell Cottage showing a tall redhead holding a platinum blonde in an upper window, watching.

After she disappeared from view, the couple made their way downstairs. They read their letter together, Bill holding Fleur close as she cried.

_Bill and Fleur,_

_Words can not express how thankful I am to have you in my life. You have both been my rock in this tempest of my life. I am sorry that I had to leave this way. Some Gryffindor I am, sneaking off into the night. No matter what happens, know that I had to do. I don't feel like I belong on Britain anymore. Not just the way the wizarding world has treated me, but the memories of my parents hanging over me in the muggle world as well. I don't want to endanger anyone else that I love and care for. I can't stay and continue to make life harder for you both. Please know that I love you both so much. _

_Bill-I shall miss our discussions. Without you I would have no idea where to even look for answers for what I am. You have been the best brother I could ask for. Thank you for never treating me as a child. Take care of Fleur for me. And do me a favor- try and reconcile with your family. Time is short and any moment they can be gone. As angry as I am with your mother, I know she thinks she is protecting her family. A family I once I thought I was part of. I am not saying it will be easy, but I will feel better just knowing you tried. _

_Fleur- The sister of heart. I missed so much time not being fair to you from the start. I am sorry for that. You didn't deserve it. You have shown me nothing but kindness and compassion. Without you stepping in and helping me that day in Diagon Alley, I truly don't know what would have happened. I don't know where I would have ended up. Thank you for rescuing me. Your tips have helped me to start to learn control of this new aspect of my life. Knowledge that is invaluable to me in this chaos. I also have a favor to ask you. Don't ever change. Stay the same wonderful person you are. Maybe let a few others see the side of you that you let few see. The world needs more people like you. Fierce, loyal, compassionate, brilliant and wonderful._

_I can't tell you where I am going. Nor do I want to. It's better, safer that way. I know it is cowardly to run away from it all, but I need to discover me. This whole other new side of me. I need answers. I can't find them here. I will let you know when I get where I am going. I love you both and will miss you terribly. Take care of each other. _

_Your Sister,_

_Hermione_

Hermione apparated to Grimmauld Place. She left a letter for Harry, and one for Remus on the mantel. Charmed so only they could touch them. She said a silent goodbye to the boy she considered a brother. Her hand covered her heart as she held in her tears. She felt

The necklace on her neck warm with a message. Five simple words.

We love you. Stay safe.

She gathered her thoughts, and apparated one last time. By the time the sun rose over London, Hermione Granger had vanished.

At a hotel in muggle London, Hermione Granger at on the edge of a bed. Determined to put her magical life behind her and embrace her future as a muggle. She locked her wand into a magic proof box, put on both the silver and gold bracelets and became Helen Smith.

**AUTHOR NOTES:**

**Well she did it! She is leaving the magical world. The other letters will make an appearance when their recipients read them. Up next….New York or Bust! As always, read and review! **


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura Liesel- Of course she isn't a harpy! But when have any of Rita Skeeter's articles been factual? Hermione even states she isn't a harpy or a Veela while she is researching. Veela are considered beautiful creatures too. When has Rita ever called Hermione beautiful or anything nice. She is a vile woman who likes to paint the worst possible picture she can. As far as Molly and magical guardian, please remember that while Harry will be considered of age, he is in a coma and unable to speak for himself. In which case the magical guardian will have rights. No worries though, Harry will NOT be happy that Molly has decided this and other things for him when he does wake up. And Molly calling her a harpy, remember fourth year when she was quick to believe the papers? You have to remember they don't know exactly what she is. It's something new. People fear new and different. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Big shock, but I don't own HP, MCU or anything amazing like that.

**Huge Thanks go out to my new Beta/Alpha GaeilgeRua! You have been a lifesaver!**

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 7: Not The Whole Story**

**Please note that the passage of time will vary in this chapter.**

A pecking was heard on the window of one Neville Longbottom. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and sleepily took the missive from the owl. He stumbled across the room and sat down on his bed. He called for a house elf to bring him some tea. Thanking the little elf who delivered it, he inhaled deeply, appreciating the scent. Then he took a drink. Scrubbing his eyes he decided he was awake enough to read his letter. He had just taken a drink when he processed exactly what he read. He spit his tea out, dropping the cup. Ignoring the mess, he finished his letter.

_Neville,_

_You were the first person to try and befriend me in the magical world. I had never really had a friend before. And I don't know that I ever told you just how much your friendship means to me. You have always been an amazing person. Watching you grow from a shy sweet boy to a brave incredible young man has been a privilege. Thank you for taking a chance on a bushy haired, buck toothed bossy little muggle born all those years ago._

_I know your gran has forbidden you from having anything to do with me. You had said when your birthday passed you would gladly come back around, and it isn't much longer. But I can't wait that long. Things have not been easy for any of us the last few years. After everything, it has all become too much. I fear the only thing I can do is leave. Maybe one day I will come back. I don't know. But for now, I have to do this. Please take care of yourself._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

Neville wasn't sure what to think. He felt terrible that things had been so bad for her. But he knew he had to do what was best for himself too, and that she understood. If he acted quickly, maybe he could catch her. Maybe the owl could- but the little owl was already gone. He leaned down, head in his hands as he bid his friend a silent goodbye. She had been a kind, young girl who had helped the awkward boy on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. She had never been anything but kind to him. Sure she was bossy and liked to nag them all to do their work, but that was because she wanted them all to do their best. Heavy hearted, he went down to join his Gran. It wasn't until later that day that he began to see the things Hermione didn't tell him. He knew that she had some issues with the whole winged thing. And Rita Skeeter seemed to be particularly vicious in her public slaying of Hermione lately. Then there was his encounter with Ron today. He had ran into him in Diagon Alley. He had been sent on an errand by his Gran, and Ron was just leaving his brother's shop. Being the polite person he is, Neville stopped to chat. A few minutes into the conversation, Ron had suddenly started trying to warn him about Hermione. Ron told him he should avoid her. He said some rather mean and nasty things about her. He even told him that his mother was not letting her see Harry. Neville was confused. Harry, Ron and Hermione were best friends. Why was he suddenly so against her. She had done nothing wrong. He went about his errand, the conversation playing in his head. He reread her letter once more. Things clicked into place and he could see things from her point of view. He hasn't realized it was so hard for her lately. She had never said anything else. She had even gone along with his Gran's wishes. He vowed to talk to the others. Maybe she had left word of where she was going, or how to reach her. If not, he would find her. Somehow, someway.

Across the way, in a small home known as The Den, Remus Lupin accepted a letter from an owl. Too tired to read yet another condolence letter, he put it on the pile of others he had received. At least this one wasn't a howler. If he had bothered to read it, he would have seen four little words before rushing off to Grimmauld Place. Hermione had simply written the escape word she had worked out with him and the other boys.

_I'm sorry. HOUDINI._

_-H_

It would be awhile before this letter was found. He just simply had too much going on, with a new baby and losing a wife. When he eventually came out of his grief induced haze he would have to deal with the guilt and one very furious Harry Potter.

July 31. Harry's Birthday. Two months since the Battle of Hogwarts. Two long lonely months without her best friend. She had been in the muggle world a full two weeks. She briefly held a hand over her necklace and sent a message to Bill and Fleur.

Miss you. I'm safe.

While living in a hotel was neither efficient or financially friendly, she would be leaving as soon as she got the papers back from her GED. The muggle school work had been surprisingly easy. Then again she was used to Arithmancy. She had felt good after taking the test. She had done a lot of thinking in this hotel room. She knew her end goal was New York. But why couldn't she take some time to travel. She had always loved France. And she was sure she would find tonnes of useful research on Norse Mythology in Norway. And even though they had never made it there, she wanted to go to Australia. As a means of full closure for her parents. She had been there about a few days when she stumbled onto the very information she was looking for. She had gone to Heysham at St. Peter's Church to go see a Hogback tombstone. The side of which depicted the story of Sigmund. This one about his escape from wolves. It was fascinating. It definitely dated back to Viking times. While she was there she met an interesting old man. He claimed her aura was familiar and he could help her. He was terribly old, even older than Professor Dumbledore had been. How old he was, she never got an exact answer. She briefly wondered if he had a philosopher's stone like Nicholas Flamel. He had drawn her aside as she was leaving and spoke to her of Norse Gods, and Asgard. He seemed to find it humorous when she asked about Valkyrie. She knew he knew something but refused to say. He did point her in the direction she should look. He claimed they were special, gifted by the Gods. She looked away for a brief moment trying to process what he had said. When she turned around, the man was gone. He had said one word before he disappeared. Valkyrie. She was elated to finally have a name for what she was. She copied the information and for the first time since she left the wizarding world, she made her way into the magical district. She had taken off the gold bracelet so she could enter the magical community. She stood still for just a moment, taking in the sights and sounds. She made her way to the owl post and wrote a quick letter to Bill and Fleur and added the information she had found.

_B & F_

_Came across this in my search today. Mystery solved. Learning so much here. I miss you both so much. I am staying safe and taking care of myself. Hope all is well at home. Any news on H?_

_When I settle permanently I will get an owl of my own. Be nice to this one. It was a long flight from me to you._

_Love,_

_Dove_

At least she could pass news on and ask about Harry without being specific. Moody's Constant Vigilance motto was one she lived by. If anything happened and the letter intercepted or read by anyone other than Bill and Fleur it didn't give away any important information

She headed out to check her P.O. box. She wanted to send a present for Harry back, but she didn't want to go into the magical world just to use an owl. Plus she didn't know if he was even awake and released from the hospital. She had still bought him one. The vintage shop she had found had gotten another leather jacket in. She bought it as soon as she saw it. She had put it away for safe keeping. She prayed one day he would come looking for her. Opening her mail box, she found the letter she had been waiting for. She opened it with shaky fingers. There in her hands was her muggle GED. She had done it. To celebrate, she stopped at a local bakery and purchased a cupcake. She was free to move on from Britain. She stopped at the front desk to let the hotel know she would be checking out. She ate her cupcake, and packed up as much of her stuff as she could tonight. Then she went to bed early. She needed her rest if she was going to set off on her journey.

She dreamed that night of the strange woman. It had been awhile since she had seen her in a dream. The muscular blond man and the slim dark haired man were both back as well. She watched the blond spar with three other warriors. He seemed to enjoy the fighting. The slim man was more of an intellectual. She always saw him with a book in hand. He was however, quiet mischievous. He enjoyed playing pranks on the blond, whom she guessed was a relation of some sort. The sound of a loud shrill sound woke her. Before she could recover, her wings shot out in agitation. She cursed herself for having slept without the bracelets on. It turned out to only be the wake up call she had requested at the front desk, once her racing heart calmed she was able to relax and get her wings to retract again. She rushed through a shower, throwing her hair into a bun to avoid drying it. She threw the last of her things in her luggage and was out the door. After she checked out of the hotel, she headed to the train station. Having traveled that way every year for Hogwarts, it was no big deal to be on a train for hours. She bought her ticket to Paris, and found her seat. After stowing her bag, she pulled a book out of her jacket pocket and began to read. Not long into the trip, she felt her necklace warm. She snuck a peek to see the message.

He's awake

Fully recovered

Holding a few days

She was happy to know Harry was finally awake, and would be fine. She hoped for the best for him and her both.

She stayed at a lovely little bed and breakfast in France. She explored the museums, took in the sights, and began to relax for the first time. She spent a full two weeks before she felt the urge to move on. Sending a quick message to Bill and Fleur, her hand went to her necklace.

Au Revoir Paris

The reply was instant

Je t'aime Petite Colombe

This next place was the one she was most curious about. She was headed to Norway. This time she flew in an aeroplane. Knowing she would be here awhile she found a real estate place. Hermione managed to find a lovely furnished townhouse apartment for rent on a monthly basis. She spent her time in Norway researching, exploring all the sights that tied in with Norse Mythology. Almost a month after the discovery of Valkyries, she felt her necklace warm with a message. She exchanged a few in rapid succession.

H left St M

Where is he?

Burrow.

How is he?

He's confused.

About?

You.

M & R?

Lied to him.

Figures.

Give him time.

Keep faith right?

Always.

Miss & Love you

Me too. So much.

Her heart ached at the thought he was listening to the lies that Molly and Ronald were feeding him. She could feel the Valkyrie beneath her skin pushing to come out. She vowed to find a safe place tomorrow that she could practice away from the muggles. That night she tossed and turned. She had nightmares about Harry rejecting her, Bellatrix, the war, and her parents accident. In the morning she visited a local tourist information shop. She discovered that there was a lot of forest areas in Norway. She asked about the most popular, which ones to avoid, etc. When she found out there was one that was forbidden for the most part, she knew she had found the place she needed to go. If she used her wand, there was a chance that it could be found. She had bought it at Ollivander's after all. That simply wouldn't do. While she didn't want to use the magic she knew she had to. She had been wearing the bracelets too long. She was amazed the Valkyrie was still contained after last night's messages. Slipping off the gold bracelet she made her way into the magical community once again. She was lucky that there was a wandmaker there. She tested several and settled for one that seemed to work good. It didn't feel like her Ollivander wand, but she could make it respond to her magic. She thought it might also help her focus it. She knew that if she had been willing to remove the silver bracelet too that the results for the wand would have been different. But with the Valkyrie so close to the surface she couldn't risk it. She paid for the wand and left.

She used the wand to apparate to the forest she had heard about earlier. She took a good look around and discovered it would work perfectly. Before taking the silver bracelet off she cast a translation charm on one of her earrings. She was managing with the language barrier but she struggled to keep up with a conversation. It hadn't been a problem in France. Having visited there with her parents several summers and spending time with Fleur she was fluent.

When she was done, she set some rudimentary wards to prevent anyone from coming within the area. Thus keeping both her and any trespassers safe. Knowing it was most likely a possibility, she had dressed for the possibility of her wings. The air was a bit chilly without her jumper, but at least with the racerback she wouldn't end up naked. She plaited her hair tightly, tucked her bag in a safe place and slipped off the silver bracelet. Immediately her magic rushed through her. Her hair sparked, she felt jittery she tossed her head back uncurled her fingers and just simply let go. Her wings came out in all their glory, her eyes glowed, and she embraced the Valkyrie. She started blasting trees, running through her spell arsenal. One by one trees were felled. She froze them, transfigured them, vanished them, everything she could. Some time through, she didn't realize she had dropped the wand and begun casting wandlessly. Her body was running on instinct alone. When she was left with nothing in the large warded area she came back to herself. Her body was hovering ten feet off the ground. She flapped the wings again and stretched them out. She flew around the area, restoring all the trees. Once she had calmed down she focused on her breathing. She used every trick Fleur had taught her until she relaxed and her wings retracted. For months she had the same routine. She woke up, spent some time researching or exploring. She learned a great deal about Loki, Thor, and Valkyries.

She found she could go close to two months before she felt the unbearable itch to let the Valkyrie out. When that happened, she used the same wards as before and let it out. As a result her magic grew, her wandless casting increased. She became more comfortable with her wings, the heights no longer an issue when she had total control. She managed to send a few letters to Bill and Fleur. There was even the few messages via necklace about the Order of Merlin, First Class the Ministry had awarded her. The money was deposited into her account at Gringotts, along with money from the Lestrange and Malfoy families due to her torture and injuries from it. She tried to wear long sleeves whenever possible. It was rather hard to explain the mudblood scar, especially to muggles.

Almost 5 months since he had awakened in the hospital and headed to the Burrow, Harry Potter began to question the things he had been told about Hermione. He didn't believe she had abandoned them, that just wasn't like her. Ron had said he asked her to marry him and she had refused. As far as he knew she never had any feelings for him, or vice versa. It just didn't make sense. He needed to think. He had to go to Grimmauld. Clear his head, spend some time away from the Weasley's.

It was early morning when she felt her necklace warm from a message.

H left Burrow

Where did he go?

Grimmauld.

Go to him. Please.

She hated to think about Harry being confused. But she hoped he would find her letter and make the decisions he needed to. She hoped Bill and Fleur could help him understand.

At Grimmauld Place, a very confused Boy Who Lived explored the house. It was clean, and neat. He turned back to the floo to call Molly and thank her for being so thoughtful. The two letters on the mantel caught his eye. One for him, and one for Remus. He knew it was from Hermione. He knew her writing well. He anxiously opened his letter.

_Harry,_

_It's finally over. We did it. We beat him and lived. I am so very proud of you. I can't tell you how sorry I am that it was partially my fault you were hurt worse. I would have spared you if I could. By now you have probably heard some things about me. Depending on your source it is probably not true, or grossly exaggerated. In your room, in your hiding place you will find a vial of memories. They are mine. Watch them. Read the articles I included with this letter. Make your own observations and decisions. I stayed as long as I could. I hope the charms in the house kept my hard work still in good shape. The work helped pass the time. This time without everyone has been awful. And it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. I am sorry, and I hope you can forgive me for this._

_HOUDINI._

_I love you Harry James Potter. You are my brother in all but blood. And have been my best friend for a very long time. I told you I was with you until the end. And that is how I will always remain. If you need me, I will be there. Always. Please take care of yourself._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

Harry scanned the articles in disbelief. Surely it wasn't this bad. He tore out of the room. In his room he pried out the loose floorboard and found she had left him the vial like she promised, and the pensieve that Sirius had hidden in his room. He quickly set it all up and poured her memories in. He dipped his head in and watched her memories play out. The more he saw the angrier he became. He pulled his head out and let out an angry yell. In his heart he couldn't blame her. He could understand why she had left. He would have done the same. He heard the floo activate and went to see who had shown up. He was shocked to see Bill and Fleur standing there. Fleur took the initiative and led him to the sofa. Bill took the chair opposite. Harry looked at him, rage and despair evident on his face.

"Hermione."

"We know, she sent us."

"I don't understand. How did this happen. Why did everyone let her down?"

"There are always those who believe what they read in the paper. During the final battle, she was something else. She took out more Death Eaters than the order put together, then she stabbed Voldemort with the Sword of Gryffindor. People didn't know what was going on, how to react. Without you, no one knew who to look to for an example."

"But I'm just one person. What about the others? Kingsley?"

"Well you know he is the newly elected Minister."

"McGonagall?"

"Busy rebuilding Hogwarts. Did you know Hermione showed up to help rebuild without a wand?"

"Sounds like Mione. How about Remus? I know he is a new father, but with Andromeda helping..."

"He has been dealing with losing his wife, and a new baby who apparently does not sleep well. On top of that he had to go through that first full moon without Wolfsbane, without animagus friends, and without his mate."

"But that was months ago. Hermione would have sent him the password too. There is no way she didn't. Why didn't he come here? Does he believe the trash Skeeter is saying? Hermione would never hurt Tonks. Let alone try to make a move on Remus."

"We know. I don't know what has been going on. He hasn't been seen or heard from since the funeral. I know she wanted to apologize for anything that was said. She felt awful when they brought Tonks into it too."

"The twins then? She helped save them for Merlin's sake."

"The twins have been stuck to each other like glue, and getting their shop up and running. And before you ask, Neville's Gran refused to allow him anything to do with her, and Luna is on a trip with her father."

"I just don't get it. Why would your mother refuse to let Hermione see me? Why would Ron lie about proposing?"

"I think there are some other things at play here that contribute to my family. Unfortunately, since I married Fleur and took Hermione in, my family does not have a lot to do with me anymore. I am trying to fix that. Hermione asked me to."

Harry gave a sad half smile and looked down at the floor. Fleur reached over and grabbed his hands, drawing his attention.

"Petite Colombe loves you. She prayed every day for your recovery. She even once told us that she didn't care if you never wanted to see her again, as long as you recovered. Anytime her new powers have caused something to happen, she has panicked about hurting one of us. Yes she is a strong, brave young woman. But she is still unsure and scared on the inside."

"Hermione never could understand why people complimented her. She always said that she felt like she didn't deserve it. Do you know where she is? What she is doing? Is she at least safe?"

"We know a little. Not much. Letters are scarce, you can read the little she sent if you would like. We can however get and receive short messages. We have necklaces that work like those DA coins."

"Brilliant! Well where is she? Can you tell her to come home?"

Bill answered with a shrug while Fleur put her hand on her necklace. As usual, she got a response right away.

H asking about you

Is he ok?

Yes just confused

I'm sorry

He knows

Does he?

Yes. WRU?

Nowhere

Refusing?

Safer

For?

Everyone

H says come home

Can't. Sorry.

Still safe?

Always

She released the necklace and relayed the answers. Harry was disappointed. He wanted to go after her, but didn't know where to find her. Bill and Fleur talked him out of leaving. He had already jumped up, headed to the floo when they stopped him. Maybe Hermione was right about his saving people thing. All he knew was that she was missing and she wasn't supposed to be. He WOULD get to the bottom of this whole thing.

**AUTHOR NOTES: I know, I know...no New York. But I felt that Harry needed to make his appearance. Don't be mad! Hermione/Helen is on her way to NY. Just doing some research and travel. But she will arrive in NY next chapter! Originally this and the next chapter were written together, but it was well on its way to becoming a BEAST. To make it easier to read I split it in two separate chapters. Rest assured, it is a good portion written, so it should be up in the next few days. Read, review, ask questions. Love hearing for you! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I haven't woken up to find I suddenly own Harry Potter or Avengers. My bank account certainly doesn't show it either. So all recognizable things aren't mine.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 8: Closure**

**Please note that the passage of time will vary in this chapter.**

Back in Norway, the young woman formerly known as Hermione, now Helen, sighed deeply. She was glad that Harry was thinking about things and making his own decisions. He had asked her to come home. She knew in her heart that England was no longer home. She hoped she would find it someday. No matter where it might be. Maybe New York would be home eventually. For now, she did what she did best, threw herself into her research.

She discovered that in Norse Mythology, there are Nine Worlds, and they are unified by the world tree, Yggdrasil. These Nine Worlds were known as:

Asgard.

Álfheimr/Ljósálfheimr.

Niðavellir/Svartálfaheimr.

Midgard (Earth).

Jötunheimr/Útgarðr.

Vanaheimr.

Niflheim.

Muspelheim.

Hel (Heimr).

She also found references to several Norse Gods. Odin, Thor, and Loki. Odin, the Chief divinity in Norse Mythology, was also known as the Allfather. Odin is both the God of War and Death and the God of Poetry and Wisdom. He is able to watch over all of the Nine Worlds from his throne in Valhalla. Odin is said to have lost his eye in exchange for a sip of enchanted water, from which just a mouthful would grant him wisdom and foresight. Thor is the God of Thunder, famed for his magical hammer, Möjlnir, and his strength-doubling belt, Megingjörð, was considered the protector of both Gods and humans. Loki, the Trickster, is one of the most famed, dangerous, intelligent and beloved anti-heroes. Though he was called a God, Loki, was not a God himself. Instead, he was the son of two frost giants (the mortal enemies of the Æsir).

Hermione made several trips to interesting places, including a visit to Oslo to see the Viking Ship Museum. She also checked out the Museum of Cultural History. It had archaeological finds from Tune, Gokstad (Sandefjord), Oseberg (Tønsberg) and the Borre mound cemetery. All places she made sure to visit later. She saw runestone near Sundsvall, known as the Nolbystenen runestone.

Months passed, and as they often do, soon a year had passed. Shortly it would be Harry's birthday again. She longed to go see her friend even for a short while. But she knew in her heart that she couldn't yet. Nothing had really changed. Yes, the wizarding world was rebuilding and moving on, but a lot of the same prejudice and views remained. She felt like she needed to move on with her life. If she went back now and he asked her, she wasn't sure she could tell Harry no. And to stay now, after everything- it would destroy her. She would most likely end up resenting Harry for asking her to stay. It wasn't a risk she could take. Instead, she thought long and hard about what to do for his birthday.

It took a while, but she finally decided on the perfect gift. It had been in passing that she noticed the paper at all. A rather large magical community near Bergen boasted of some of the more rare items. Although she didn't use her magic regularly, (save for the times she needed to remove her dampening bracelets to release the buildup) she had taken to brewing some potions. She could do it without a wand as long as she left one bracelet off. She had been to the magical community to purchase some more potion ingredients. Being the bookworm she is, she, of course, checked out the bookstore. The shop was much bigger than Flourish and Blotts. It had books and magazines from all over. The headline of one of the magazines caught her eye. On a whim, she picked it up to scan the headline. She quickly thumbed through to find the article.

_**New Family Communication Mirrors**_

_We here at Wandering Witches are always pleased to announce the arrival of a new means of communication for the travelling witch or wizard! Charmed communication mirrors are nothing new, they have been around for years. Previously the mirrors only connected to one other mirror. It just isn't practical to carry around multiple mirrors to communicate with friends and family. Now it is possible to connect to multiple mirrors. Sets of mirrors are now available for purchase in sets of 3, 4, 5, and 7. The mirrors come in two sizes, portrait or compact. The mirrors can be used to talk to a single person or all of those within the set. Simply set the passwords for individuals and the group, place your hand on the mirror and say the password. This seems to eliminate the issues with owls for wandering witches and wizards. Pick up your own set of mirrors today! _

Up to this point, Hermione had managed to send several letters back to Bill and Fleur and even Harry. Sometimes little presents. Nothing to give away too much information about where she was. She had always used an owl from the owl post and instructed them not to wait for replies. But now with the mirrors, she would be able to freely talk to Bill, Fleur and Harry without the fear of being tracked. Hermione smiled to herself. She now knew what she wanted to do for Harry's birthday.

The owl pecking at the window drew Harry's attention. He let it in and retrieved a letter and package from it. He smiled when he recognized Hermione's handwriting. He wasn't surprised when the owl immediately flew off. So far, he had never been able to reply to her short letters. The owls would never wait around, and his new owl couldn't seem to find Hermione to deliver a message. He opened her letter and set the package to the side. He was surprised to find a folded paper saying For After Presents.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! I hope this year is far better than last years! At least you aren't comatose for this one! Included in your present is last year's gift, and one for this year. I included instructions for your second present. But don't open them until after you open your gifts! _

_With Love,_

_Hermione_

Harry picked up the package and unwrapped the first of two gifts. Inside was a black leather jacket. In his mind, he could picture Sirius wearing one similar and smiled. He slipped it on, flipped the collar and grinned. It looked so much like Sirius's that if he didn't know better, he would think it was his. He didn't think Hermione could have gotten him anything better. Not taking the jacket off, he opened the second present. He was a bit confused at why she had gotten him a compact mirror. He opened the other letter to see what the deal was.

_Place your hand on the mirror and say Valkyrie to speak to me, or Seashell to speak to Bill and Fleur. To speak to all of us at the same time, say Houdini. _

Harry's knees felt weak, and he sat down in a chair. Shakily he took the small mirror in hand and said the password.

"Valkyrie"

Hermione felt the compact vibrate and smiled. Harry had gotten his gift. She opened her compact and looked at her best friend/brother for the first time since the Final Battle.

"Hi, Harry."

"HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER! DON'T YOU EVER DO THIS AGAIN!"

Hermione covered her ears as he continued ranting. Finally, when it seemed like his steam was running out, she allowed herself to speak.

"I know, Harry. I'm sorry. But we all agreed that the password could be used at any time. No questions asked."

"I know," he sighed, "but did you really have to not let me have no way to even reply to your letters? I've been worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry. If you watched the memories, then you know what it was like. If nothing else, I needed to find out what was going on with me. I mean, it isn't every day a girl sprouts wings you know."

"No. It isn't. But it's pretty awesome in it's own right."

Hermione chuckled, "Well, at least I can finally conquer my fear of flying!"

Harry snorted, "Oh, of course, you do it AFTER we flew on a Hippogriff and a bloody dragon. Just have to go and one- up me, huh?"

Hermione smiled.

"Mione? When are you coming home?"

"Harry- I...I just can't. Britain isn't my home anymore. I don't know where it is, but I know I'll find it. I'm sorry, Harry. There just isn't enough reason for me to come back."

"What about Bill? Fleur? Me, Hermione. What about me? Don't you still consider me family?"

"You know I do! You are my brother in all but blood!"

"For now. You better believe the minute Ii see you again we are doing that ritual! Then it will be magically binding as well. We are the only true family each other has."

"But you have the Weasleys. And I have Bill and Fleur."

"Yes, there are others in our lives, but no one has ever stood by me like you. Saving you from that troll was the best dumb luck I ever had."

"Of course, it was. How else would you and Ronald have passed half your classes?"

They shared a laugh. Harry looked pensive for a moment before he met her gaze again.

"I don't know what is going on with the Weasley's, but something isn't right. Ron said that he proposed to you. That you just left, never said goodbye. But I know you didn't like him like that. So it made no sense."

"No, he never proposed. No, I certainly do not have feelings for him. And I left word for those who mattered to me."

Hermione was quiet for a second before she felt the urge to caution him.

"Harry, just be safe ok? Remember what Moody said."

His eyes shone with mischief before they both yelled out.

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Dissolving in a fit of laughter, the two friends grinned widely at each other.

"I will be careful. You better take care too. And keep checking in. At least once a week, you hear me?"

"Yes, Harry, I hear you. Next time maybe I can tell you about some of the information I have found."

"Sounds great, Mione. And thanks for the presents. This jacket has a totally Sirius vibe to it."

"I thought the same thing! Happy Birthday, Harry."

She closed the compact, cutting off the smiling face of her best friend. She felt better having talked to him. The mirrors were definitely worth every sickle. She smiled softly as she prepared to go to bed. Laying down, her heart happy for the first time in a while.

It came as no shock that she dreamed about him that night. Her mind bringing forth their time on the run. It was not long after Ron had left them that she had found the ritual. The one that would officially make them a family. They planned to do it at the next full moon, when the magic would be the strongest. But Ron had returned before the full moon, and then Harry broke the taboo. She had no doubt that he was entirely serious when he told her that he still wanted to perform the ritual. She slept comfortably in the dreams of her future home, and brother in magic.

After Norway, Hermione went to Denmark. In Tissó, she discovered a small silver statue in a museum that was described as a Valkyrie, and a shield maiden, separated by a horse. It didn't feel magical to her, but it clearly depicted Valkyries. After a month or so, she moved on again. Each new place brought new information, new sights to see. Hermione still didn't know how or why she had become a Valkyrie.

Her birthday had come to pass again. Yet another year older. This year was significantly better than last year. Last year the day had passed with only a few brief messages on her fulgurite necklace from Bill and Fleur. It had been a sad day, but she had gone and spent an entire day in a library she hadn't explored yet. This year, she had a mirror call from Bill and Fleur early that morning. That evening brought a mirror call from Harry who had a couple guests. An apologetic Neville Longbottom, and a sweet blue- haired toddler being held by Remus. The three had all sang to her and had a chocolate cake in her honour. She laughed at that. Like Remus had ever needed a reason to have chocolate. In her heart, she was glad to see Remus doing better. Harry had been furious with the older man. Apparently, he had set upon him in a fury that rivalled Hermione's own ferocious temper. Harry had called her that night on her compact mirror so she could talk to Remus. He had apologized, and she had assured him that she understood. Since then, he had joined Harry for a couple of mirror calls. He had asked about her research, saying he would love to hear more about it. She had sent him to talk to Bill and Fleur, who had several letters worth of information they could share.

She spent a short time in Iceland. There she visited Goðafoss, known as the Waterfall of the Gods. It was beautiful, though it was quite a journey getting there. She also visited the Pantheon of Norse Gods, found almost exclusively in the Icelandic sagas. The sagas are the written records of the oral tradition that spanned all the way back to the Germanic tribes of Scandinavia.

As a muggle-born, Hermione had always been sceptical of claims of Gods without any vital proof. She found evidence of the Norse Gods and Valkyries having been on Earth (or Midgard as they called it) that caused her to believe that maybe there was some truth to the mythology. In Ásbyrgi Canyon in Iceland, she saw the geological imprint of Odin's great eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, when he placed a hoof onto the earth. Then there was the jewelry found in a field in Hårby, that was reportedly from a Valkyrie. She tried to get to see it, but it was behind very thick glass on display. She could feel it call to her magic. The description she had heard made it unclear if the gold and silver figure was meant for the top of a staff, or even to be worn as a necklace. Unfortunately, the bottom half of the figure was missing, so what the exact purpose was, she didn't know. Still the fact that it was there was amazing. The most mysterious thing that she had heard only whispers of was something named the Tesseract, also called the Cube. It was used by various ancient civilizations before coming into Asgardian hands, kept safe inside Odin's Vault. Eventually, it was brought to Earth and left in Tønsberg, where it was guarded by devout Asgardian worshipers. It was used by a group called Hydra in 1942, but thanks to the man known as Captain America, it disappeared in a plane crash in the arctic. The cube was recently found and placed in safe-keeping.

She spent many months finding everything she could. She learned Viking history, visited museums, attended festivals. It called to her in ways she didn't understand. Somewhere along the way, she had purchased a leather arm bracer with Norse runes. It had been an impulsive buy at a Viking festival. It had been a warm day, and she had worn a short- sleeved shirt, her arm visible to all. She had received several looks. While the Muggles may not know what the word meant, the scar itself was still red and raw looking. No matter what type of treatment she, Bill, and Fleur had tried, nothing helped. The unsightly scar still had lingering effects of darkness. She often experienced nightmares that forced her to relive the horrific event. There were also times it bled for no reason. Usually she wore a long sleeve shirt. But on hot days, she had previously just wrapped it in gauze. It worked if she didn't spend a lot of time in public in one place. After all, it wasn't like she could wear a bandage every time she went out for more than a week or two before it became suspicious. Now, with the leather bracer, she wore it almost every day. It was far more comfortable.

It had been too long since she had removed her bracelets and released the buildup of her magic. She had passed the itchy, jittery feeling under her skin. Now her whole body was beginning to ache. It had taken longer to find a place she deemed safe enough to release the magic. In the end, she had ended up making due with a cave with a decent sized cavern. It was large enough for her wings to expand and to hover just a few feet from the cavern floor. It wasn't large enough for her to actually fly, something that she had the impression that made her Valkyrie side very unhappy.

At least once a week she had short mirror calls to Bill and Fleur, and Harry. Inevitably, she always got the same request from Harry, come Home. Home. England wasn't home. It didn't feel like it anymore. Her parents were no longer living. Harry had admitted that he knew he was being selfish in asking, and acknowledged she needed her independence, he just missed her. He was struggling to come to terms with some recent revelations.

It turned out that there had been more problems with the Weasley's than either of them had thought. Molly had accessed his vault while he was in the coma, none of the funds she had taken had been used to pay for his care. Ron had become a glory hound. He craved the attention, using his status as a war hero to shag any woman who would have him. But he wasn't nearly as bad as Ginny. She was using Harry and his fame; his money too. She constantly wanted to go out and "be seen." It had gotten to the point where he couldn't even take her anywhere without a whole flock of reporters waiting on them to arrive. Ginny, in her bid for fame, had been tipping off reporters so that they would be spotted and she could be photographed on his arm. This all sickened Harry. He didn't want the fame, he just wanted to live his life. It came to a head when he had broken up with Ginny, and she had attempted to tell him she was pregnant with his baby. Harry, being suspicious of her claim, had surprised her by taking her to see a doctor. It was then revealed that she was not now, nor had ever been pregnant. To say that Harry was devastated would be an understatement.

All this time, she grieved for her parents, but had not been able to find closure for their untimely passing. She decided it was time to go to Australia. They had been headed to the airport to catch a flight there, when the accident occurred. It felt only right to finish the journey for them. It was time to finally get the closure she needed.

It was summer in Australia. That meant one thing. Hot. Even in her travels, she had not experienced anywhere quite as warm as here. She found she quite enjoyed spending time near Adelaide. While Hermione had regular mirror calls with the others, she still had bouts of loneliness. She missed physically being with her friends. Even when they had done nothing but sit side by side on the beach, it had been fun. She had been exploring the shoreline, not quite brave enough to venture into the water more than her feet. She had seen too many documentaries about shark attacks in Australia to be comfortable with that. She had found a comfortable place to sit and was busy reading when a dog ran up to her and enthusiastically began to nudge her hand for pets. Laughing, she began to pet the sweet dog. Being more of a cat person herself, she didn't know what type of dog it was. The dog was wearing a collar with a tag that identified her has Bella. She shivered thinking about that name, but pushed it away. From a little ways away, she could hear someone yelling the dog's name. A woman close to her age jogged up, leash in hand. She knelt beside the dog and fastened the leash to the collar. Her hands began scratching the dog's head.

"There you are, you silly girl! Teach me to not check that your leash is properly fastened, why don't you? Sorry if she bothered you."

"Oh it was no problem, she was just looking for a few pets. She's a sweet, friendly girl."

"That she is. But often gets into mischief. I'm Kirsty by the way."

"Helen. Pleasure to meet you." The dog nudged her hand. "And you too, Bella."

The two girls laughed.

"So silly girl, almost as bad as Ollie."

"Ollie?"

"Ollie is my spoiled kitty. She demands attention if you ignore her."

"My Crooks was like that."

"Was?"

"Yes. He was a good fam-friend." She rushed on to cover her almost slip. "He was a Persian. He passed away almost two years ago."

"Ah. Sorry to hear that. Ollie is a Tuxedo Cat."

"I bet she is adorable."

"I live just over there. It's a rather hot day, would you like to come meet her and have a cold drink?"

Hermione considered her options. She had been rather lonely lately,. and iIt would be nice to have some actual company. She didn't know much about the woman, but she felt a sort of kindred spirit in her. Still, the concept of constant vigilance had been drilled into her head. She casually slipped the gold bracelet off, allowing her to access her magic should she need to defend herself. Her wand was in her bag, but she was confident in her wandless casting now to use it in an emergency.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

The two women went to Kirsty's home. There Hermione fell in love with Ollie. She was genuinely enjoying spending time with Kirsty when her roommate and his brother walked in. The brother immediately set her on edge. Something about the man unnerved her. He was loud, obnoxious, and made spiteful comments about Kirsty, herself, and even the animals. The only one spared his ire seemed to be his brother. The urge to hex him was so strong, her fingers twitched in anticipation. Deciding she should leave before she bat bogeyed him, she said her goodbyes. Kirsty reminded her about their plan to meet the following day. She had volunteered to show her around. Hermione smiled at her, assuring her that she would remember.

After that, the two women met almost every day. Hermione often joined her for walks with Bella. Sometimes they shared a bottle of wine at Kirsty's place. The alcohol loosening Hermione's temper a bit, and she had hexed Kirsty's roommate's brother multiple times. The two women talked a lot. Hermione trying her best not to slip up and reveal her magic. It was hard because she felt comfortable with Kirsty. They talked about the future. Kirsty was studying law, and would soon be off to Uni. Hermione missed classes. She was learning a lot in her research, but it wasn't the same as attending classes. It was Kirsty who urged her to try Uni herself. It was something Hermione was sure she wanted to do. She just wanted to be settled somewhere a little more permanently. It was definitely something to think about.

One evening, just after sunset, Hermione spent some time alone at the shore. She removed a picture from her pocket of her parents and lovingly traced their features. She stood, water lapping at her feet, as she lit a floating lantern. Using a wandless nudge of magic, she directed it out over the ocean. She watched, silently saying her goodbyes, until the lantern burned out and fell into the sea. Not wanting to potentially harm a creature, she vanished it with a quick Evanesco. She felt more at peace now that she had some closure.

In all the time the two women spent together, Hermione had been so careful not to reveal anything about magic. It was quite a shock when she found out that Kirsty was a witch. Not only that, but she had also attended Hogwarts. She had been a Slytherin. Hermione hadn't noticed her because the few Slytherins she did recognize were the ones who had picked on her or had Death Eater parents. She was sure she resembled a fish the way her mouth gaped at the revelation. Kirsty told her she had recognized her soon after meeting. She had not been around for the final battle, as she and a few other older Slytherins had taken it upon themselves to barricade the young ones in and fortify their security. They took turns entertaining and distracting the younger ones. Because of their actions, none of the Slytherins who did not actively fight had lost their lives. She promised to keep Hermione's secrets and to never reveal them. When she found out Hermione's plan to head to America next, she passed along the contact information for a fellow witch. She promised the witch would also keep her secrets and would help her if she needed. Hermione was thankful she had met Kirsty. Her new friendship had allowed her to think of the future beyond her research. The two women said goodbye before Hermione boarded the plane bound for New York.

The flight from Australia to New York was long. She had tried to sleep a little, but found herself on edge. The itchy feeling was back. Hermione regretted not releasing the build up before leaving. It was enough to ensure she spent most of the twenty-seven-hour flight awake. Even with both dampening bracelets on, she was afraid to take the risk.

The long flight finally arrived at JFK and Hermione was thankful that Kirsty had helped her get registered for a hotel room. She would be able to go straight to the hotel and get some much- needed sleep. Once she got over her jet lag, she could explore New York. She was already planning to visit several museums. She had come across several passages that suggested that Vikings and the Norse Gods had made it all the way to New York. She was anxious to see if there was any evidence. She was thinking of starting with the American Museum of Natural History. As excited about the museums as she was, she knew they would have to wait until after she found an apartment somewhere. She wearily collected her luggage and headed outside to hail a taxi. She checked into her hotel room and got herself ready for bed. Just before she fell asleep, she said a silent prayer to the Gods to find the one thing she was looking for. A home.

**AUTHOR NOTES: She made it! Finally in New York! Yay! Soon our Marvel crew will start coming into play! This week was a crazy one for me so it took a bit of time to finish this chapter. Hopefully you all love it. I appreciate all of your reviews! They help keep me motivated! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I haven't woken up to find I suddenly own Harry Potter or Avengers. My bank account certainly doesn't show it either. So all recognizable things aren't mine.

**Huge Thanks go out to my new Beta/Alpha GaeilgeRua! You definitely had your work cut out for you this week!**

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 9: Getting Settled**

**Please note that the passage of time will vary in this chapter.**

The first few days in New York, passed in a bit of a blur. The time difference between Australia and New York was a change. Not to mention the jetlag she had from the long flight. She ended up sleeping most of two days, waking up only to order room service. Thank Godric this hotel offered it. She was originally going to stay somewhere else, but Kirsty had convinced her to splurge a little. The start of her third morning in New York, she did what she did best. She planned. She made a list of things she needed to do.

Find a map.

Buy a phone and laptop.

Find a place to live.

Make a decision between work and uni.

Check out places for "practice".

Call Bill and Fleur.

Be happy, live my life.

The list wasn't long, but it was important. She showered, dressed, and gathered up her Gryffindor courage. Today she was ready to take on New York. It was warm in America. Much warmer than England. She wore a short-sleeved shirt, denim shorts, and her tennis shoes. Her necklace, both her bracelets, and her ever-present beaded bag were her accessories. She headed to the lobby, making a stop at the front desk. The clerk was helpful, and she managed to get a map and directions to a reputable electronics place nearby. Taking a deep breath, she left the hotel.

Hermione was sure the guy at the electronics place thought she was an idiot. While she did have some knowledge about computers, she was clueless about cell phones. She hadn't spent much time in the Muggle world the last year or so to know what sort of phone she wanted. She probably would have forgone it if it wasn't for the need for calling about an apartment, school, a job, etc. in the future. Finally, she managed to pick a laptop and a cell phone for a reasonable price. It had taken almost two hours to get all the paperwork signed and straightened out. She looked around as she ducked into an alley and quickly put the items in her beaded bag, which she then looped around her arm and held to her chest. She was pretty sure she had witnessed someone getting pickpocketed earlier. Even if they hadn't been, it was better safe than sorry.

Headed back in the direction of her hotel, Hermione spotted a bookshop. She never could resist looking, and usually purchasing a book or three. She didn't get the reputation of being a bookworm by simply looking at them. She was browsing a section and reached up to retrieve a book that caught her eye when she noticed a little boy staring at her. More specifically, her arm. Her eyes flicked to it and silently cursed. She had forgotten to put on her bracer, leaving the scar for all to see. She was in too much of a rush to notice this morning. The little boy's mother had come to collect him when he asked about it loudly. His mother turned to look and gasped loudly. In a moment of panic, Hermione pulled her arm down and held it, hiding it from view. She turned to leave and noticed several others were trying to look at her arm. Hermione could feel her arm throb as if it too was trying to bring attention to itself. Her mind kept trying to slip back to her time under Bellatrix's treatment. Pushing past the people between her and the door, she rushed out of the shop. Turning in the direction she thought was right, she took off running. Her mind kept flashing images of that night, fueling her panic. She ran without seeing, tears blurring her vision. Her necklace burned and pulsed angrily on her chest. In one of the rare moments of clarity, she saw her hotel. Thanking every deity she could she raced across the street, ignoring traffic. Somehow she made it safely across. Rushing across the lobby and into the elevator, she jabbed the button for her floor a bit frantic. The Valkyrie was screaming to be released, to protect herself. The hotel room was the only place she knew she would be safe from prying eyes if it happened. She ran for her door, pushing the Valkyrie back down within herself. It took three tries for her shaky hands to correctly insert the keycard. Slamming the door behind her, she slumped to the floor. She couldn't release the Valkyrie. Not here. Her necklace felt like it was melting into her skin. She was vaguely aware of the compact in her pocket vibrating. She clicked it open to a frantic Fleur.

"Ma Petite Colombe! What happened?"

"Fleur!"

"Breathe, Cherie, breathe! There is no danger, you are safe. Listen to my voice."

Tears continued to stream down Hermione's face. She let out a ragged sob. Fleur's voice continued to calm her down. Once her sobs had tapered off, she was able to think clearly.

"Now tell me what happened. I felt the necklace burn and pulse and knew you needed me."

"It was just something little. I forgot to cover my scar. If it was noticed earlier, I don't know. But a boy pointed it out. And suddenly it was as if everyone was looking. I could feel it throbbing, reminding me. I could hear her voice, feel the knife as it pierced my skin. I ran, I didn't even look where I was heading. Somehow I managed to get to my hotel and in my room. Oh, Godric! So much could have gone wrong! What if I hurt someone? What if I had ran the wrong direction?"

"There there, Petite Colombe. It all worked out. You are safe now. We will help you."

"But- how? It isn't like the scar will ever go away. It will always be there. Hideous, red, and throbbing. Just thinking about it makes it burn all over again, as if she is just carving that word into my arm. Some days I wish she had just cut my arm off. Then I wouldn't have to see it, feel it, be reminded of it. Nothing can fix it. Nothing can fix me. I'll always be broken because of her. I'll always ..."

Hermione could feel herself beginning to spiral into that dark empty place. A deep voice cut through the descending fog in her brain.

"Breathe, Hermione. You aren't broken. You are incredible and perfect the way you are. It's all over, don't let the evil bint win. She won't beat you."

"Bill," Hermione breathed out in a sigh.

"Well, hello there, little sister. I have been listening to Fleur. Hope you don't mind."

"No. Of course not!"

"Good. Now I think that this is something I can help with. Scars are something I am quite familiar with after all."

Hermione looked guiltily at him before looking away.

"Now none of that. You have nothing to feel guilty for. You are human, and as humans, we do tend to focus on ourselves first. Just because you can hide yours under clothes doesn't make them any less significant. These scars, they are a part of us. And to those who love us, they don't matter. Ask Fleur sometime. Hell, think about Harry. You don't see him as his scar, you see him as Harry. Scars are a part of us, they don't define us though. But they are a symbol. A symbol of all we have experienced and lived through, every sacrifice we made along the way. They are a symbol of the fighter inside of us. One that refuses to stay down, and keeps getting up and facing every challenge head-on. My scars show that even a werewolf won't stop me from fighting for what I believe in. Your scars-your scars are a sign of hope. To every single muggleborn who sees them. They show them that someone is willing to stand up to the darkest of dark witches and wizards and not break. Your scars are just a mark to show the world that you not only survived, you conquered. You don't see them like others do. To you, they are evil and vile. But to those of us who know the story, and know what you have done- Merlin, 'Mione, you are so much more than scars. No, they won't ever fade or go away. But once you overcome the mental aspect of those scars, nothing can hold you back."

Tears fell down her face as she listened to what he said. Bill was right, he was always right. She wrapped her hand over her scar. Her fingers traced the letters subconsciously. She was a survivor, a fighter, a conqueror. She could look passed them, and not let them bother her. It just would take time. If Bill (Godric, even Harry and his infamous scar) could do it, so could she. She gave the mirror a watery smile.

"Thank you, Bill. I don't know what I would do without you and Fleur."

"Always happy to help my little sister. Now that we have dealt with that, we can do some research and try to find a way to fight the overwhelming feelings your Valkyrie seems to produce. It really is too bad that therapy is not an option. A mind healer would help greatly. Maybe you can try meditation to see if it helps?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. They would find some way. She wasn't alone. She didn't have all the answers, and that was ok. Having sufficiently calmed, and now feeling rather exhausted, she wished the two goodnight. She felt as weak as a newborn kitten as she stumbled to her bed. Once there, she collapsed, fully clothed, and slept.

The vibration of her mirror woke her early the next morning. She cracked her eyes open and fumbled on the nightstand for her mirror. Mumbling hello as she opened it, she laid her head back down.

"Morning to you, sleepyhead."

A glance at the clock told her it was only six. "Harry. It's just six in the morning. What is so important that it couldn't wait?"

"Well, you see…. ImayhavedidsomethingbutNevhelpedmesoreallywedidsomethingbutwehadto.."

"Harry! Slow down. Breathe and tell me what is going on."

"Well, it's like this. I may have done something, but Nev helped me. So really, I guess we did something. But in our defence, we had to. It needed to be done."

"What needed to be done? What did you do, Harry?"

"Well Skeeter. She wrote another article about you. Nev saw it before me and floo'd over. I was just so angry, and sick of her stories."

"What? I have been gone a while now. Why is she suddenly printing a story about me?"

"Occasionally there are rumours about you leaving. People always gossip. Apparently this time it was that you left because I turned down your offer of marriage for someone more worthy of the Potter name."

"Really? I don't remember ever proposing. Who did you supposedly leave me for?"

"Ginevra," he snorted, "I think she must have started that rumor herself actually."

"Figures. So what did you and Neville do?"

"We kinda sorta bought the Daily Prophet. And made a call to Kingsley that led to Skeeter getting arrested for being an illegal animagus."

"You bought the Prophet!"

"And had Skeeter arrested."

"Well, honestly, that was long overdue. Should have done that years ago."

The two shared a laugh.

"I wish I knew exactly what to do about the Weasleys. I can't explain why they did the things they did. Or what I can do. Even if I press the issue with Molly accessing my vaults, it isn't like they have the money to pay me back. And Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and the twins shouldn't have to pay for their mother. I would have gladly shared anything I had if she had just asked."

"I know that, Harry, you would help anyone you could. That's just how you are."

"I think the real issue lies with Ron and Ginny. Ron has always been jealous. I think that he is acting the way he is because for once he has the fame, and he will do whatever it takes to keep it. But him suddenly turning against you and spreading lies doesn't seem quite like him. I am beginning to wonder if I ever even knew Ginny at all. If she would lie about the things she has, what else has she lied about?"

"Short of Veritaserum, I don't know how you could even be sure she told the truth."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before he perked up.

"Great idea, Mi! I can slip her some Veritaserum in a glass of wine. Invite her over for a drink. Pretend I want to move past this whole thing."

"Harry, you're rubbish at potions. How will you get Veritaserum? And don't say you will buy some. You can't trust the quality of those premade potions."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. His shoulders slumped.

"Harry, what if I made it for you? I could make it and send it to you. If you can wait for it. that is."

"Great idea! Short of asking Snape, I don't know who else could help."

"Don't bother Professor Snape, Harry. I'll do it. It will take me about a month to get to you. I will have to find the ingredients. And brewing takes twenty-eight days. Can you wait that long?"

"I think so. I am supposed to meet the twins for a drink this weekend. Maybe they can come up with some ideas as to why the others have been acting like this."

"Maybe so. If nothing else, they are brilliant, and maybe they can always prank Ronald."

Harry laughed before he said goodbye.

"It's getting to be close to bedtime for me, Mi. Auror training starts early tomorrow, so I better get to bed. I hate not having you here, you know. But I am so glad I can talk to you this way. I miss you. You are safe, right?"

"Always. Take care of yourself too, Harry. I miss you. Give Nev my love too. Goodnight."

She closed the compact and pulled herself out of bed. Apparently, she needed to go to the closest magical community. She knew there was one in New York, somewhere. She just had to find it. Besides New York wasn't that big. How difficult could it be?

It turns out it was more difficult than she had anticipated. In the end, she had to contact Bill and use his contacts to find out exactly where the magical community was and how she was supposed to gain access. It wasn't like she could just google it. While she waited to hear back from Bill, she spent the time charging her new phone and laptop while reading up on the phone's manual. Soon Bill contacted her with the information she needed, and she set off. She wasn't terribly far from the entrance to the magical community, but it still required a thirty-minute taxi ride. She made quick work in and out, making only one stop. Just to the apothecary for the necessary potion ingredients. As soon as she left the magical community, she hailed another taxi to return to the hotel. She was unsure if she should attempt to apparate close or not. The itch of the Valkyrie had faded, and numbness was beginning to set in. Not a good sign. A definite sign that she should not take off her bracelets anytime soon. Not until she found a reliable place. It looked like she would be spending time searching on her laptop. A place to release her magic and a place to live were her top priority now.

Hermione ate a quick dinner before logging onto the wifi in her hotel room. Most places around were not for rent or did not come furnished, another large expense she was trying to spare. Finding a place for her magic was much easier. There were several warehouses close to the harbour that seemed to be vacant. She placed a few calls and managed to set an appointment to look at a couple of different options. That was another potential item off her list. Now for a place to live. Not that the hotel wasn't lovely, but she was ready to settle into her own place. Furnished or lower cost was preferable. She hated to spend more money on furniture. She was trying to keep a close watch on her spending. Yes, she had quite a bit of money left from her parent's estate, and from the Order of Merlin. But the money from the ministry was in a Gringotts vault, one that would surely pinpoint her exact location should she access it.

Deciding to take a trip to a coffee shop she had seen down the way, she stood and stretched before double-checking that her scar was covered. She knew what Bill had said was right, but she couldn't change her habits and mindset overnight. She had been searching for places to live for a few days. It was while she was at the coffee shop, she noticed a young woman hanging up a flyer about subletting an apartment. She snatched the flyer up and made the call. Upon hearing it was furnished and was a month to month sublet, she snatched it up sight unseen. The owner's granddaughter did warn her that the area "wasn't the best", but she didn't care. The price was right, and it was available in as little as a week, once she paid the deposit. She happily met the granddaughter a few days later to pay the deposit and sign the contract. That night she checked that item off her list with a smile. She was excited about this next step in her life. Soon there would be no more hotel living. The day arrived that she could finally move into the apartment. She was happy to check out of the hotel. Hermione knew she needed to decide which warehouse area would suit her needs. First, she needed to check the apartment to see if she could brew there or if she would have to keep it at the warehouse.

The apartment wasn't too bad, but the neighborhood was more than a bit rough. She had seen two muggings in the month that she had lived there. And she was pretty sure she had seen a drug deal going on. The owner had no less than three locks on the door. It made her cautious enough to leave anything that could potentially out her magical status in her beaded bag, which she kept hidden. She had been out to check the warehouse options, and picked one that would work for her brewing as well as releasing the Valkyrie. She had placed wards on the warehouse before she released the magic. She had a harder time reigning the Valkyrie back in. But she finally managed to do it and start brewing the Veritaserum for Harry. She had learned a few things about her new area. 1) don't draw attention to yourself. 2) stay indoors at sundown. 3) don't get involved in anyone else's problem. (She struggled with this one, wanting to help those she could). The last lesson she learned…three locks were not enough. The apartment had been broken into once while she was out. Some of the owner's things were stolen. She had to call the owner and the police both, which only drew more attention to herself. She kept telling herself that she had lived in worse conditions. Living in a tent on the run was no picnic. She could handle this.

The potion was almost finished. Just one more day to go. Hermione had spoken to Harry several times to keep him informed of the progress. He had been culminating Ginny's belief that she was the only one for him. Hermione just hoped that it would all work and Harry got the answers he needed.

Hermione had one more decision to make on her list. She had spent a lot of time debating the right answer. Her thirst for knowledge was as strong as ever. She had always loved learning. But at the same time, she couldn't narrow down a specific field to study. There were so many different options. She was interested in history, mythology, art and even some mechanics/engineer type classes. If only she could combine them all. On the opposite side of the decision was working. She didn't want to go to school full time until she could better control the Valkyrie. She also didn't want to continually drain her savings. Perhaps she could do both part-time? She would just have to find a job that would work around a class schedule. Having decided, she did her research to see what all she needed to apply. Uni was so different in America. Back home, you have to do A levels first, then you receive a conditional offer based on your A levels. But here in America, most universities require SAT or ACT or at the very least, placement testing. There was an enrollment for SAT testing in two months. She could use the time to study and make sure she did well. After securing a testing spot, she headed to get SAT prep materials. She wanted to apply to NYU. She could take online classes at first, maybe go to actual classes once she settled on a career path. She spent the next two months revising as much as possible. The day of the test arrived, and she had to admit she was nervous. She knew she was a bit of a crazed person when it came to revisions. She sat down at her testing area and focused on her breathing. When she was allowed to begin, she did what she always did. She gave her best.

She took some time to relax while waiting for her scores. She went and did some of the touristy things. She saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Times Square, Central Park, and the Empire State Building. She also spent several days exploring the New York Public Library. During this time, she made a list of museums to visit at a later date. Finally, her scores arrived. 1540 combined, she was quite proud of herself. Results in hand she nervously applied to NYU. It didn't take long to hear back. She was accepted and could register for classes starting next semester in January. She registered for the classes she wanted to start with (history, art, and world mythology). Happy that things were starting to look up, she celebrated with buying herself some new books. When she left the apartment that day, she hadn't set out to find a job. But one just came to her while she was at the little bookstore. She had found it her first week here in New York. After helping a fellow customer, the manager had offered her a job. She happily agreed. Sure it might not pay much, but it should pay enough to at least pay her monthly rent. She happily checked that off her list.

She had sent the vial of Veritaserum to Harry through a rented post owl. She let him know by way of a mirror call and wished him luck. He promised to let her know when he got it and how his plan had worked. He also told her that he had taken up the Potter family seat on the Wizengamot, as well as having Remus proxy the Black family seat. Between them and Neville, they were beginning to work on abolishing the old laws that only benefited purebloods. Harry had told her that once he knew more from Ginny, he would decide what to do about the Weasleys.

Hermione had been in New York for several months now. She was still struggling to calm her emotions and keep the Valkyrie happy. She had actually had to make use of her practice space at the warehouse twice this month. She had implemented a partially effective breathing technique. Drowning herself in her work helped, she had recently undertaken reorganizing the bookstore. She was enjoying New York for the most part, but sometimes she just couldn't help but be lonely. Other than a few calls on the compact or grabbing a coffee with a co-worker, she spent the majority of her time alone. With the holidays approaching, she was feeling the loneliness even more. She had kept in touch with Harry, Bill, and Fleur. The compacts were nice, but they couldn't replace being with them in person. They had been urging her to come to visit, but she didn't feel ready. Things were beginning to slowly change in the wizarding world, but there were still those who viewed her as something to be feared. Harry had given an interview to the Daily Prophet. He had corrected the rumours about her. He gave them just a little information about the Valkyrie. Not enough to invade her privacy, just enough to satisfy the curious masses.

Hermione was working one afternoon when a couple of coworkers started making plans to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Being new to the city, they were adamant that she had to experience it at least once. She agreed to go with Dave, her manager and Lisa, who ran the til. Lisa had invited her to join her family for Thanksgiving dinner, but she didn't feel quite comfortable with that. The parade was fabulous. She had never seen such large balloons before. Not to mention the incredible floats and performances. She had an amazing day, and was quite happy she was getting out and experiencing the city. Lisa tried to convince her she needed to join her shopping the next day, which she referred to as Black Friday. It was Dave who warned her that her first true shopping experience should not be done on the busiest day of the year. After hearing some of the crazy stories, she agreed.

A few weeks later, she did make plans with Lisa to spend the day shopping and checking out the amazing Christmas displays. Hermione had found some great gifts in her shopping adventure. She had purchased several silk scarves for Fleur. With Fleur's fashion flair, she didn't doubt she would love them. For Bill, she purchased several small brain teasers; including a Rubix cube, a wooden box with several working parts, and several interlocking metal rings. As a curse breaker, she thought these would appeal to him. Remus was getting an assortment of chocolates from Dylan's Candy Bar. Teddy was receiving several Muggle children's books. Neville was getting a book on Muggle gardening tips. Harry was by far the hardest. By the time the sun set, she still had yet to find the perfect gift. She had managed to get Dave a new funky tie, he was a nutter about them. For Lisa, she snuck a cute bracelet. At dinner time, Hermione discovered that she loved authentic New York-style pizza. After they had eaten, Lisa dragged her to Rockefeller Center. Hermione was blown away by the massive Christmas tree. It was so beautiful. The two women sat and admired the tree while they watched the ice skaters nearby. Sipping her hot chocolate, she smiled at Lisa. She would find Harry a gift later.

An excited mirror call from Harry revealed he was following in Sirius's footsteps. He had purchased himself a motorbike. Remus was helping him with the spells and enchantments that Sirius's bike had. She felt a bit guilty about having his bike, but Harry insisted he wanted his own. The bike had been something she and Sirius had worked on together. He had left it to her in his will. After she hung up, she used her cell phone to call Lisa and ask for advice. Lisa's boyfriend was a motorcycle guy himself, and she helped Hermione find the place she needed to shop. A few days later saw Hermione with a custom airbrushed helmet in hand. The design was beautiful and paid tribute to Sirius. The Canis Major Constellation shone brightly from the dark helmet. She was sure that Harry wouldn't think of a helmet, he was far too like Sirius in that respect. She gathered her gifts and wrapped them. She made a trip into the magical community to purchase her own owl. Her owl, Astrid, was a spotted owl. She had the shopkeeper employ custom anti-tracking charms on a pendant that went around her new owl's ankle. After stocking up on the necessities for her new owl, she went home. Double-checking all her presents, she sent them in one shrunken box to Bill and Fleur, knowing they would help distribute them.

Astrid returned a few days later, bearing gifts from her family. Remus got her a book on warding and included a photograph of him and Teddy. She happily placed it on the wall. Bill and Fleur sent her some lovely spa items, and a book that Bill claimed was invaluable to warding. Harry sent her a library trunk, it was the perfect solution to keep all her magical texts hidden from any Muggles. Neville sent her an assortment of Sugar Quills, her favorite treat, and a small flat of starter plants for potion ingredients. She made sure to mirror call those she could and sent thank you letters to Remus and Neville.

New Years was spent watching the big event in Times Square. It looked like chaos all around, not something she would have been comfortable in. When the ball dropped, she celebrated with a glass of her favorite wine, silently toasting her friends and family. She fell asleep positive that the new year would bring many great things.

**AUTHOR NOTES: Hermione is getting her life on track, moving on/forward. Up next….Harry learns the truth, and Ginny gets her comeuppance. And our first Avenger will make their way into the story. Please read, review! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **The usual applies. No matter how much I wish it, I don't own anything you may recognize. Just the OC's and plot line are mine. The others are merely borrowed.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 10: Comeuppance and Contradictions**

***Please Note: time varies for a while**

**Also….Ginny was a BAD, BAD girl. If you wish to read the extent of her deceit, check out my story, Malevolent Memories. **

The New Year began with a bit of a bang for one Harry James Potter. Thanks to help from Hermione he had finally gotten the answers he needed. Because of the things Ginny had revealed under Veritaserum, he had stunned her and sent a patronus message to Bill asking for his help. Bill would be able to retrieve her memories so they could see just how far she had gone. Bill could also help him set an appropriate punishment. Upon Bill's arrival, Harry explained as best he could. Bill cast an incarcerous on Ginny before he set about retrieving her memories. Harry went to fetch his pensieve and the two dove into the swirling mists.

To say they were both angry would be an understatement. Harry was furious enough, that he had lost control of his magic; resulting in setting Grimmauld Place on fire. Luckily Bill quickly recovered and put out the flames. The damage had been contained to the wall with Mrs. Black's portrait. In the end, the wall containing the mounted elf heads and portrait were too damaged. The entire wall had come down. They had shared a little laugh at what Sirius would have done if he had known he could have gotten rid of the old hag so easily. Sirius most definitely would have set the entire place on fire years ago. Perhaps it was a good thing he hadn't known. Harry was also glad Hermione wasn't here. Her temper was worse than his. She was brilliant but scary at times.

Bill wasn't entirely sure what to think. It was obvious that Ginny had done terrible things. His own sister had been malicious, devious, and down right evil. How had his parents missed this? Had they just been unwilling to accept that perhaps their cherished, precious princess had been damaged by Voldemort's possession? Or had they known something was wrong and ignored it? He knew he would have to make some very tough decisions. He was grateful that Harry had alerted him first and not the authorities. He had a say in what happened from here on out. He accepted a much needed glass of firewhiskey and began to go over everything with Harry.

While there were some things they could punish, they could not punish her for everything. Some of the things she had done were not done to Harry himself. Some things she had done to her own mother. Knowing his mum would never do anything about it, Bill requested that his Father be allowed to join. Harry agreed and Bill sent him a patronus requesting his immediate assistance. A short time later, Arthur sent a patronus to let them know he was outside. As Harry had banned those living at the Burrow, he had to help Mr. Weasley across the wards. Once he was inside, he cautiously took in the scene. Beyond the burned remains of a wall, Ginevra was bound and stunned, and there was a pensieve on the table. Bill explained that as Head of House Weasley, Arthur needed to see what his youngest had been up to. He agreed and took his turn in the pensieve. He emerged looking stunned and disgusted.

"I can hardly believe what I saw. How did we miss this? How did Molly and I fail her so completely?"

"She hid it well. None of us suspected anything, Dad."

Straightening his shoulders, Arthur took on a formal tone.

"Lord Potter-Black, on behalf of House Weasley, I formally apologize for the wrongs done to you."

"House Potter-Black recognizes your apology and asks for retribution."

A nod from Arthur saw his agreement. Harry rose from his seat, and poured the elder Weasley a drink. Extending it to him, he offered him a grim smile.

"Mr. Weasley, Arthur, I hate that it has come to this. Your family did take me in, and for a time became my magical family. But I have to ask if you had any knowledge of this."

"I, Arthur Weasley, swear upon my magic that I had no knowledge of the actions of Ginevra Weasley." Raising his wand again, he cast a Lumos and the wand lit.

Both Bill and Harry nodded.

"I will try to be as neutral as I can be. Yes, Ginny is my sister, but I also count Hermione as one."

"Had Sirius lived to see his name cleared, he planned to formally adopt her. While on the run, we had planned to complete the bonding ritual to make us magical siblings. Unfortunately neither of those happened. And as most of the laws have yet to be rewritten, they heavily favor Purebloods. This is something both Neville and I have been working on."

"If we look at the crimes we can decide who and punishment is needed. Agreed?"

Harry and Arthur both agreed. Summoning a quill and parchment, Bill began to list the crimes.

-Potion theft (Moody/Barty Crouch Jr)

-Attempted Loyalty Potion (Harry)

-Slander (Hermione)

-Bubotuber pus laced letter (Hermione)

-Imperius (Goyle, Edgecombe)

-Enslavement (Molly)

-Love Potions (Harry, Hermione)

-Theft of Money (Harry)

-Libel (Hermione)

-Attempted Line theft (Harry)

Looking over the list, Bill cleared his throat.

"Several of these are punishable by time served in Azkaban. The Imperious alone is a lifetime sentence. But I have a feeling that you are wanting more out of this than that."

"Since Hermione is unable to do anything about the offenses done to her, we can skip them. Merely focus on just what she has done to me and your family."

"As Head of House, I can and will act in Molly's stead. The Enslavement Curse is very dark. It should be considered an Unforgivable. I know what I will do, but it will be discussed last. What are your thoughts Harry?"

"Ginny just received a settlement from the Malfoy's for the diary and Order of Merlin Second Class didn't she? Firstly, I request for that money to be used to repay the money that was taken from my vault. I want it to come from Ginny only, not from you and Molly, Arthur."

"That's acceptable."

"Next, the potioning, I wish to prosecute for that. Most likely it will end in time in Azkaban, as she will be unable to pay a fine."

"Also acceptable. And should Hermione wish to the same, she may also do so. Though with the current state of things she may not be successful."

"I agree, and knowing her, she won't try it. At least not yet. Moving on the one I see as the worst, at least to me. The attempted Line Theft. With any Sacred Twenty-eight family, this is a huge deal. From a personal point, she used my desire of a family against me in an attempt to trap me in marriage. This too, I will ask for time served in Azkaban."

"I agree. Harry, I can not apologize enough for the wrongs done to you. Had I known, I would have done something."

"I know Arthur. You are a good man, and have always done what is best for your family."

"He's right, Dad. It isn't your fault that Ginny did the things she did. What are you thinking of as a punishment on behalf of Mum?"

With a heavy sigh, Arthur drew his wand.

"I do not do this lightly. I just hope the rest of the family will understand."

He pointed his wand at his daughter and muttered a quick rennervate. Ginny's eyes opened and she struggled briefly against the binding. She looked around, scared before meeting the eyes of her father.

"Daddy?"

Arthur's voice took on a deeper tone, the voice of the Familial magic.

"Ginerva Weasley, for the crime of Enslavement against a member of your own House; I, Arthur Weasley, Head of House Weasley declare you weeded from our House name and Familial magics. So mote it be."

Ginny began to wail and struggle harder against her bonds as a dark purple aura settled around her, stripping her of her name and the Weasley Familial magic.

"NO! DADDY PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS!"

Arthur stood resolute, watching as the Weasley Family magic took back it's gifts, leaving the girl with only half her magic. Bill rose and placed his hand on his Father's shoulder, in a silent show of support. Once it was done, he cast his Patronus and summoned the head of the DMLE.

"Harry, the Aurors will be here soon. You should be aware."

With that, Arthur slumped into his seat and tossed back the last of his firewhiskey. Harry looked stunned, Bill looked sick. When the Aurors arrived, Harry greeted them and brought them into the sitting room. Bill took over the explanations. Once Ginny had been removed from Grimmauld and the vial of memories turned over, the aurors left with a promise that they would contact Harry's solicitor.

Harry turned confused eyes to the Weasleys.

"Okay what exactly just happened? I understand the weeding bit. But did you strip her of her magic as well?"

Bill stayed Arthur's response with a wave of his hand.

"Just her Weasley Family magic. Each magical family has its own type magic. For those born of two magical parents, they have two sets of Familial magic. What my Father did was revoke the Weasley family magic. She still has magic from Mum's side."

"So he basically just took back the things that made her a Weasley?"

"Correct. She still has magic, it is just very weak. From now on she will be known as Ginny NoName. Don't be surprised when you hear it at the trial."

A stunned Harry headed back for the bottle of firewhiskey and topped off all their glasses before sitting the bottle in the middle of the table.

Since the beginning of the new year, Hermione had been plagued by the same dream. She had been dreaming of the same Valkyrie, but this dream was slightly different. Where as before, she was mainly a spectator of the things she saw in her dream, this time she was a participant.

_~Dreamscape~_

_She was once again with the Valkyrie, whom she had discovered was named Eira. Eira led her to the weapon room, and handed her a bow and arrows. Then she stood beside Eira, taking shots at a target. _

_"As a Valkyrie, you must not rely on one weapon alone. You must use all those at your disposal. Be it sword, staff, bow, or fist. Right now you are weak. You rely solely on your magic and the skills I gifted you with sword. There will come a time when this may not be enough. You MUST be prepared. Find a master who can train you in the physical plane."_

The dream faded and she found herself awake, unable to fall back to sleep. At least now she understood how she had known how to wield the Sword of Gryffindor.

The lack of sleep began to show in her performance at work. She was often tired and found herself nodding off. She used her lunch break to search for someone who could help her. There were several self defense classes she could take, but she was having a hard time finding anything for bow or staff training. Since she was unable to find anything for the others, she decided to start with self defense. She didn't want just the basic class, she wanted a more indepth training. She found a listing for a class that boasted a certified self defense master and knew she had found the one. A quick call got her signed up for classes, with an email sent with information. She worked the class time into her work schedule, so Dave and Lisa would have the shop covered.

She showed up to the first self defense class fifteen minutes early. She watched from a viewing window after she had paid her fee. She took the time to observe the teacher while the class was finishing up. He was of average height. As far as build, she could only say he looked firm, as in solid. He wasn't huge and muscular or thin. He had close cropped dark hair, much like her father's had been. His eyes were an intense blue. She guessed him to be close to fifteen years older than herself. She watched as he interacted with his students. The man seemed quite knowledgeable. He ended the class in some cool down exercises. After a five minute break, her class was called in. It was a small class, consisting of herself and six others, mostly women. As he led them through the warm up stretches, he introduced himself.

"I am Master Barton. You may address me as Master or Master Barton. Other than hand to hand, I am trained in fencing, marksmanship, and also," he cracked a mischievous smile, "acrobatics."

Hermione giggled a little. She was relieved he wasn't serious all the time. She did make a mental note of his other areas of training. Perhaps he could help her find someone to train her in the other areas she needed.

"In this class, I will teach you to recognize and avoid dangerous situations and how to defend yourself in the event that you are attacked. This includes physical techniques as well as psychological preparation. Today's class we will focus on gauging your awareness to your surroundings. There is no pass or fail, no colored belt to earn. This is strictly for your learning. However, for those that wish it, and I deem acceptable, we do have more intense classes, or one on one training available with the other instructors. Now, you know my name, I would like to know yours, and what you wish to take away from this class."

He pointed at the various students who all stood stated their names, and why they were there. When he pointed at her, she stood like the others had and said,

"I'm Helen. For me, I want to improve my danger recognition and learn how to defend myself if I should be attacked at any point."

After the rest of the class had done their introductions, he asked for a volunteer. When no one offered, he pointed to her. Nodding she walked to the front of the class. He was extremely professional as explained exactly how he would approach, so she knew what to expect. Nodding in understanding, he proceeded to demonstrate the hold. She had tensed the moment he touched her, her body stiff and taut, the Valkyrie clawing to fight off the touch. His arms felt like tree branches wrapped around her, strong and unrelenting. Hermione felt ashamed at her reaction: tears sprang to her eyes. She felt trapped and powerless, and found herself frozen in his grip. He explained what to consider when bound. In a calm voice, he walked her through the steps to follow. His assurance and direction replaced her fear. He explained how she could breathe better if she slightly moved his arm from around her neck. He then showed her the vulnerabilities on his own body that she could hit to stun him or knock him off balance. He showed her the weaknesses in his hold that could be exploited to get free. All the while assuring her that just by being able to remain calm and analyze the situation, that she gave herself power. It helped her realize that if she managed to stay calm she could analyze the hold and get out without panicking. He then paired them off and took turns assisting the other students. By the time class ended, Hermione was feeling much more confident. On her way to the bus stop, she got the sense she was being followed. While her heart raced and her mind urged her to run, she thought back to the class and tried to force herself to remain calm. A few seconds later, she sidestepped and spun around, facing her would be attacker. Master Barton was standing there with an amused look on his face.

"Well I think you got the awareness and reflex bit mastered. I have never seen anyone pick it up so quickly."

Hermione giggled nervously.

"I wasn't following you I swear. I was on my way to the bus stop. Can I walk you the rest of the way?"

"The whole 5 feet?"

Master Barton laughed. "Well I never said it was far."

"I really enjoyed the class tonight. I am glad I decided to take it. You are a wonderful instructor, Master Barton."

"Please, call me Clint. No need for the title out here. I am glad you decided to take it too. These days one can never be too careful."

"A professor from my old school used to always preach Constant Vigilance. He was a bit paranoid, but after awhile it became second nature to me."

"Smart man. Sounds like you had some basic self defense already then."

"Not really. We never practiced any of the holds or things. Just talked theory more or less."

"Ah. Well, every little bit helps, I suppose. Will you be back next week?"

"Most definitely. I already cleared the time off work."

"What do you do for a living?"

"I work in a bookshop, Three Lives & Company on 10th Street."

"Is that the one that does children's story time on Saturday mornings?"

"It is! It's one of my favorite days to work."

He looked indecisive for a brief moment. As if he wasn't sure if he should say something or not. Finally he seemed to reach a decision.

"Sounds like a fun time to work."

The bus arrived a few minutes later and they got on board, each preferring to sit alone. She was lost in her thoughts for a bit. When her stop came up she stood and offered him a little wave before she exited.

Clint Barton was hardly ever caught off guard. As a S.H.I.E.L.D agent it happened so seldom anymore that he was twice as shocked when something did. The last time it happened, was the day he had met Natasha Romanov. It was not long after he had been recruited. An assassin's name kept popping up on the radar. His mission had been clear, take down the assassin known as Black Widow. He had tracked down Black Widow in Russia and confronted her. Instead of killing her, he saw her potential as a good person and recruited her into S.H.I.E.L.D. She had been his partner since. While others ragged on him about teaching a self defense class, she had encouraged him and often joined when he needed a hand. He knew it seemed silly to others to teach it, but he kept picturing his wife, and young daughter and what could happen if were not taught. And so he found himself teaching a class on Thursday nights. Most of the classes were the same. He wasn't expecting anything different when he picked up the files for this week's class. He took a half hour to look through the students in order to familiarize himself with them. No one really stood out from the little info he had. The first class was normal. He took a five minute break between the two classes. The second class consisted of only seven students. He watched the students as they made introductions. There was a young girl, maybe mid twenties who seemed to be constantly scanning the area. A trait he recognized in himself. She was exceptionally aware for someone taking a self defense class. When her turn came, he was a little surprised at her accent, she definitely was not born here. When he needed a volunteer, he was happy no one had stepped forward. He put the girl, Helen, she said her name was, on the spot. He could tell she was nervous. As always, he remained professional when he described what he was going to do. The minute he touched her, her entire body stiffened, as taut as the string on his bow. He could feel her shudder as if fighting off the urge to immediately fight back. While it wasn't necessarily a new reaction, it was the sense he got from her. The girl seemed to contain power. As though a wild animal were coiled under her skin just waiting to spring forth and attack. When they practiced the escape, she had been awkward and clumsy. As if she was not used to a physical fight. It was interesting enough that he decided to do a little investigating. Instead of heading out to his car, he trailed her towards the bus stop. He could tell she had caught on that she was being followed. He decided a little test was in order. He stepped a bit closer to her. She suddenly sidestepped and spun to face him. Her whiskey colored eyes hardened. Oh yes, this girl was scrappy. He chatted her up a bit, and learned where she worked. He had thought about telling her it was the type of shop his wife would like. But he held back. Other than Natasha and Fury, no one else knew about Laura. He liked the protection that gave her. When they got on the bus, he picked a seat further back so he could watch her. He noticed that while she was extremely aware, she also was a bit jumpy. Someone had bumped her seat in passing and she had startled rather easily. She had small scars that seemed out of place. A small one on her cheek that he imagined would be invisible if she wore makeup. But there was one on her neck that just didn't sit right with him. He knew what it was, he had used it himself. A knife held to the jugular was a frequent tactic he and Nat employed. His instincts told him she wasn't a threat. And he always trusted his instincts. Honestly he suspected she had been a soldier at first, but there was a lack of confidence that was evident. She displayed many of the classic signs of someone who had seen combat. They reached a stop and she stood. She looked in his direction and waved. The girl was a contradiction. He would definitely keep an eye on her.

**AUTHOR NOTE: So tried a new format. I realized earlier that my pauses and breaks had not transferred from Google docs. It also failed. Not sure what will work, be patient as I try to find a solution. So by popular request: Ginny got what was coming to her (and yes there will be some punishment for others in the future -especially Ron). We also met our very first Avenger…..and not a single one guessed who it would be correctly! There is plenty more interaction between the two (and others) to come. It is a very long planned story. The end is nowhere to be seen yet. Please remember that this is a work in progress and the only one who knows what will happen is me. Assumptions are fine, be nice! So far, NONE of the recent assumptions made have been correct. Please review! And check out the companion piece to this! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **The usual applies. No matter how much I wish it, I don't own anything you may recognize. Just the awesome OC's and plot line are mine. The others are merely borrowed.

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 11: A Redhead and a Robbery**

***POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING***

Hermione tied the letter to Astrid's leg while she stroked her head. She hadn't heard much from Harry since she had sent him the Veritaserum. She had a brief mirror call from him that was cut short by the arrival of Remus and Teddy. Knowing it was a full moon, Hermione had let it go so that Remus could get settled for the night. She decided instead to write a letter. She could at least fill Harry in on what was going on in her life. At least some of it, anyways. She knew he wanted to know specifics, but she held off still. Not sure if she could tell anyone exactly where she was. She had come to enjoy not being pestered by the public, no dirty looks or whispers behind her back. No reminders of war everywhere she looked. And best of all, no bloody beetles to make up stories about her. The freedom was something she cherished. Here she was just another face in the crowd. She relished the freedom.

She watched Astrid fly off as her cell phone began to ring. Noticing the screen flickering, she frowned. That wasn't good. She hadn't had the phone long. It seemed like her magic was interfering with it. The screen flickered again and showed the caller ID. The name of the bookstore she worked for showed up. She quickly answered.

"Hello."

"Hey Helen, it's Lisa. I know that you had asked for tonight and tomorrow off, but do you think there is any chance you could come in tonight? I'm sorry! I swear, I wouldn't ask if I weren't desperate. But I feel so sick."

Hermione thought about it. She had planned to go release her pent up magic tonight. She was already starting to feel numb from the excessive time lapse. Tomorrow she had another self defense class, so tonight was really all she had. She needed to do it, but Lisa sounded awful and Hermione's heart went out to her.

"Sure Lisa. I will be in just as soon as I can. Hold tight until then."

"Thanks Helen! You are a lifesaver."

Hermione hung up and hurried to change out of her yoga pants and Harry's old quidditch jersey. At least the shop wasn't too far away. As she grabbed her keys and phone she made a mental note to keep an eye on it. If it got worse she would have to buy another one.

She hailed a taxi, and arrived at work a short 15 minutes later. She paid the fare and exited the cab. She still didn't like using a cab, you never knew if the driver was a decent sort. Some drove like they were possessed. This one, she swore had stuffed sweaty socks under the seats and left them to permeate the whole cab. It was revolting. Breathing a breath of clean air she focused her thoughts. The smell of the diner down the block wafted through the air. Making a last minute decision she quickly walked towards it. She placed a to go order of chicken soup, grilled cheese and hot tea. She paid for the order and hurried to the bookshop. Once she rounded the front desk, she held up the bag and handed it to Lisa.

"Here you go. Dinner. Now go home, eat and rest up."

Lisa smiled gratefully. She quickly hugged her before grabbing her coat and scarf and hurrying home.

XX

Natasha wasn't sure why she had found herself approaching the bookshop. Perhaps it was the way Clint had talked about the girl. Natasha knew it paid to be paranoid, so she vowed to check the girl out. Could be the fact that when she had searched for information on Helen Smith that very little was found. Helen Smith was a rather common name. If she hadn't gotten the woman's address from Clint she probably wouldn't have found her. It was as if this Helen Smith had barely existed. She had obtained a GED while living in London. She had left shortly after getting the GED. A few plane tickets and hotel reservations showed the route of her travels. She had sublet an apartment, taken her SAT (with a rather impressive score), enrolled in a few classes at N.Y.U, and worked at the bookshop she was currently standing in front of. The only other information Natasha had found was an ID, a passport, and a cell phone number. No birth certificate, no previous address other than a P.O box. It was all a bit strange.

Natasha didn't know if Helen would be working, but she could at least scope the place out if nothing else. She was greeted by a young woman, who she knew couldn't possibly be Helen. Not long after, another young woman came in. The two spoke briefly, and Natasha could pick up the English accent the newcomer had. The previous employee left while the new one got situated. The young woman donned a name tag, then headed in her direction.

"Good evening! Can I help you locate anything?"

The girl's eyes were definitely as unique as Clint claimed. They were large, doe eyes the color of honey. There was intelligence there, but a haunted look overshadowed them. Natasha's eyes scanned the name tag (Helen) and returned the girl's smile. "No, thank you. I am just looking."

Natasha pretended to browse the shop. She took the time to observe the woman she now knew to be Helen Smith. She was close in age to herself, petite and definitely on the skinny side. Personally Natasha thought she could use a couple of good meals. She had long curly hair, almost waist-length, the color of mocha. Overall she was a pretty girl. She walked around, covertly watching the girl's mannerisms.

XX

It was a slow night. Not too many shoppers were out, so the bookstore remained rather quiet. Hermione took advantage of the lull to work on some research. The good thing about working in a bookstore was all the free research. There was only one customer in the store right now. A pretty redhead who was just looking, she said. She was having trouble concentrating. She swore she could feel the woman watching her. It unnerved her. She had read the same passage twice now when the bell above the door chimed. She looked up to greet the customer and was momentarily speechless. The minute she made eye contact with the man, the Valkyrie slammed forward. She managed to stutter out a greeting. Whoever this man was, the Valkyrie did NOT like him. Even with both the dampening bracelets, she could feel the magic coursing through her. Her hands clenched as the man walked all the way around the store. She was trusting her instincts on this one. They all screamed that this was a bad man.

XX

A scruffy looking man entered the shop and Natasha immediately honed in on him. This man was up to no good. By the terse greeting Helen had given him, she sensed it too. Danger perception, just like Clint said. Natasha quickly stepped back to the very last row of shelves. It was a bit darker here, making it easier to blend in. She scanned the area when the man began to walk around. Natasha swiftly, but silently scaled the tall shelf and perched on the very top. From here she could watch everything. Helen was still behind the counter, but she could see one hand under the counter. Natasha assumed it was most likely a panic button hidden there. Helen was tense, her head barely shifting as she kept track of the man. Natasha swore her hair seemed to have frizzed up. She thought the lights played a trick on her eyes, because it looked like small sparks ran amongst the curls briefly. The man walked past her and turned toward the counter.

XX

Hermione was aware of where he was at all times. The other woman was near the back of the shop, somewhere. Hermione couldn't see her but tensed as he walked by that area. She prayed that the woman remained silent. The whole time Hermione tried to recall the things Clint had taught them in their last self defense class. She tried to keep calm and take note of her surroundings. The man was headed toward the counter now. Hermione's left hand reached under the counter and felt for the silent alarm button. Her fingers hovered over it as the man began to take his hand out of his coat pocket. The overhead light glinted off the barrel of his gun. Hermione jabbed the silent alarm before slowly raising her hands. Her heart was pounding fiercely and the Valkyrie fought against the suppression magic that kept it contained. Her fulgurite necklace began to heat up and pulse, sending a warning to Bill and Fleur.

The man walked beside the counter and stood at her left side. He kept the gun pointed at her as he kept an eye on the door. She silently obeyed his demand that she empty the register. She was trying to go as slow as she could, in order to give the police time to get there. Her eyes kept focusing on the gun as she filled a bag for him. She wasn't sure how she could safely get out of this situation.

XX

Natasha cursed when he pulled the gun. How could she get them out of this without revealing herself? She silently climbed down the shelf. With the silent grace of a cat, she made her way around the store. Helen was filling a bag with money from the register. What she needed was a distraction. She quietly slipped a book off the shelf. She tossed it down the end of aisle away from her.

XX

The sound of a dropping book caused the man to look away and Hermione took advantage of his distraction. She dropped the bag she had been filling. She burst forward, forced his arm away from her as she drove her elbow into his face. She could practically hear Clint's instructions in her head. She reached under the weapon, placed her free hand on the hammer all while being aware of where the barrel was pointed. Clint's voice echoed in her head, "Keep both hands on the gun as you kick, stomp or knee the gunman. With both hands firmly on the gun, and the gunman's wrist twisted, rip the gun away. Now you have the gun. Take several steps back once you have the gun. The best case scenario once you have the gun is for you to get away without having to fire it." Hermione backed away and pointed the gun at the man. Her hands shook. She had never held a gun, much less actually fired one. She could see the flashing lights approaching. She let out a shaky breath. It was almost over, soon the police would be here. She relaxed slightly.

XX

Natasha was shocked, and stopped in her tracks just watching. Helen had sprung forward and pushed the gun away while elbowing him. A flurry of the small angry woman, and she held the gun in her hands. Natasha was impressed. Helen's stance relaxed just a fraction and the man jumped at her.

XX

That's when the tables turned yet again. Hermione shouldn't have relaxed at all. The man sprung forward and knocked the gun out of her hand. It flew in the opposite direction before it hit the floor and slid under a shelf. The two wrestled briefly, before the much larger man pinned her down, pressing her wrists to the floor. The position triggered the memory of Bellatrix doing something similar. She froze as the memories began to play in her mind. A red blur tackled the man off her. The front door burst open and several policemen entered the shop. They quickly had the man in handcuffs.

XX

Natasha watched as the gun went flying across the shop. She saw Helen freeze when he pinned her and knew she had to act. She flew across the small space dividing them and tackled the man off Helen. The force caused him to crack his head on a nearby shelf, and rendered him unconscious. As the police entered the shop, she turned her attention to Helen. Kneeling at her side, she watched as tears coursed from the tightly closed eyes. She was shaking and hadn't moved from the same position the man had pinned her in. Natasha said her name several times. Helen gasped, and her eyes opened wide. Natasha was taken aback when the once honey colored eyes were instead a glowing gold. They quickly returned to honey, but Natasha knew she had seen it. They HAD changed colors. Later, she would recount the event to Clint and she could recall the sense of raw power she had seen in them.

XX

In the aftermath of it all, the store manager, Dave had been called to come lock up the shop. The police had gotten statements from both women, and taken the man into custody. Natasha managed to listen in on Helen's statement. As she recounted the story, she was amused to hear Helen say she had learned the moves from Master Barton in a self defense class. Afterwards, she pretended she hadn't heard and casually asked Helen about it. Wide-eyed, Helen had told her about the classes. Natasha pretended to be interested and managed to get an invitation to tomorrow's class. As she left the shop she pulled out her phone and dialed Clint.

XX

Dave had driven Hermione home. She assured him she was fine, just shaken up. Once she was locked safely in her apartment, she made herself some tea and mirror called Bill and Fleur. She told them what happened and agreed to take a Dreamless Sleep potion that night. She knew it would be the smart thing to do.

XX

The Dreamless Sleep had allowed her to rest without any nightmares. Morning found her voicemail flooded with messages. A couple from Dave, and several frantic ones from Lisa. She called them both back to reassure them that she was fine. Lisa had apologized several times, and blamed herself. But Hermione was rational and knew neither of them had any blame. They had no idea that the store would be robbed. Besides, if Hermione had not gone in and something had happened to Lisa she would never have forgiven herself.

Hermione decided that after yesterday she really needed to relax. She put the kettle on and started running a hot bath. She thought fondly of the Prefects bath at Hogwarts. She would love to be able to relax in a large tub. Sighing she added some of her favorite bubbles to the water. She lit a few candles and waited for the tub to fill. Turning off the water, she heard the kettle whistle. She padded back to the kitchen and fixed her tea. Sipping it, she wandered to her bookshelf and picked out a random book to read. Settling in the tub, she tried her best to relax. The hot water was helping her muscles to relax. She thought about how things had actually worked out for the most part last night. But she knew if Natasha had not been there that she would have been in real trouble when she froze. She had to find some way to get past all of the flashbacks. Bill had suggested Meditation some time ago. She had tried it, but ended up feeling stiff from sitting so long. Maybe she should bring it up tonight? Then again how could she explain without giving everything away? She would have to think about it. She stayed in the tub, reading until the water turned chilly. She had just wrapped up in her robe when she heard the tap tap of an owl. She let Astrid in and retrieved the package and letter.

_Mione,_

_I am properly chastised after your last letter. I had not written to you yet to explain what happened with Ginny because I was waiting for it all to end. I am not sure if I even want to tell you everything. It was bad Hermione. Bad enough that for the first time in years I had a burst of accidental magic. One good thing about it though, I finally got rid of Sirius's mum and those awful elf heads. Padfoot would be proud. I am sending three separate memories. The first is what memories Bill retrieved from Ginny. The second is what was decided after, and the third is what happened just yesterday. It is a lot to take in, I know. A word of caution for you, take a calming draught ahead of time. You will need it. Just know that it has all been taken care of with Ginny. Molly and Ron? Well as much as I would like to say every bit of it was not their fault, I can't. You said it yourself, Ron has the emotional range of a teaspoon. He had to get it from somewhere. He certainly didn't get it from Arthur. There isn't much in the way that I can punish Molly, as you will see. But I believe that punishing Ginny also punished Molly. If you wish to try and pursue any charges against Ron, you know I will support you. But you also know the way our society views those who are not Pureblood. Neville and I are doing our best to repeal those laws. Honestly I don't think it would be enough even if we were successful. Oh don't worry though, Ron isn't getting off scot free. The Twins have decided to use him as their unwilling guinea pig. They invented a few new products just for the occasion. He will be spending the next three days as a girl (if the Twin's calculations are correct). I promise to try and get a picture just for you! I am glad to hear that you have been doing things for yourself lately. Working in a bookshop is perfect for you. I must admit I was a bit shocked by you beginning a self defense course. Your wand should more than do the trick. But I suppose that it does make sense. We have had a bit of it in the Auror training. Are you secretly going through Auror Academy and just haven't told me? No? Well hopefully you are taking the course just because and not because you are into anything dangerous. I know you say you won't come home, but will you at least give me some clue where you are? I don't like not having any idea. I would love to see you. Maybe send us a new picture or two? I am sure everyone would love to see them. Take care of yourself Hermione. _

_Love _

_Harry_

Hermione smiled as she read his letter. She removed the vials of memories and made a note to procure a pensieve, and apparently a calming draught for herself. It meant another trip into the Wizarding District. As much as she hated it, she figured she would go ahead and stock up on other things while she was there. Some potion ingredients, and owl treats for Astrid. She didn't have time today. She had to finish some work for her History class before class tonight. She dressed in semi comfy clothes and settled down with her laptop to review her History notes.

XX

Before she realized it, it was time to get ready and leave to make it to her self defense class. Natasha was supposed to meet her there fifteen minutes early so she could get registered. She pulled her hair up in a messy bun, and changed into her muggle track pants and long sleeve t shirt. She picked up her backpack and added a clean towel, a water bottle and a couple granola bars. She put her keys and phone in the small zipper pocket with her wallet. Throwing the pack over one shoulder she headed to the bus stop.

XX

Natasha met her outside the gym, and Hermione helped her get registered for the class. She was glad to have someone new she could maybe become friends with. Merlin knew Lisa was fun, but she was more focused on her relationship than being a good friend.

XX

Clint was glad that Nat had warned him that she would be a student of his tonight. He would have hated to accidentally be too familiar with her, instead of pretending she was just a student. He snickered at the fact that she was in a basic course when she was more than qualified to teach the advanced ones. He knew it was all a part of the rouse though. She wanted to get a more indepth look at Helen Smith. Nat had made some of the same observations he had. After hearing about what had happened at the bookstore last night, he was anxious to see what, if anything, Helen had to say about it. He called the class to attention and began walking them through that night's lesson. He planned to add a new demo tonight, using Helen as his partner. He was going to pin her and try to talk her through it. Nat had said she had frozen, and Clint wanted to help her.

XX

Class ran smoothly up until Master Barton called for a demonstration and asked her to help. When he told the class they were going to demonstrate the very hold that that the man had put her in last night she broke out in a cold sweat. Her stomach rolled. She didn't know if she could do this. Rationally she knew that Clint wouldn't hurt her, but she was afraid it might trigger memories like it had last night. She tried to talk her way out of it. When she baulked, Master Barton asked her what the issue was. Thankfully Natasha had stepped in and helped explain. Clint laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I promise I am not going to hurt you, if anything, this should help you. You will be able to avoid this situation in the future. If it is too much for you to handle just say the word and we will stop. Got it?"

Hermione nodded shakily. She took her place on the mat. Clint lowered himself to his knees beside her, he eased himself over top of her until he straddled her waist. He explained everything and moved slowly. Then he reached for her wrists. Placing them above her head he pressed very lightly. He discussed the best way to escape, and added more pressure to her wrists. She fought the feeling of helplessness that hit her. Her breaths came out as pants as her heart rate increased. She could feel her vision blurring and voices started sounding far off. Suddenly the hands holding her were gone, and Clint was up and away from her. He stared at her in curiosity. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she didn't like the way he was looking at her.

XX

He had talked his way through everything, moved as slowly as he could. At first she seemed fine. She was listening and doing well. He applied a little more pressure and she started twisting and fighting against it. In her struggles, her sleeve had slipped and his eyes saw the letters "ood." He was shocked. It looked like someone had carved the letters recently. Nat didn't say anything about it happening last night. The criminal had a gun, not a knife. When had this happened? What did it mean? Clint could tell he was losing her, that she had already mentally started to check out. He quickly stood up and retreated. She opened her eyes and they were pure gold. Helen jumped up, grabbed her bag and ran from the room. Clint shared a look with Nat who took off after Helen. He quickly dismissed the class and waited for Nat to call. He was swamped with guilt. He hadn't meant to scare Helen. He really had just wanted to help. He didn't know what had happened to her, or what was going on with her eyes, but he was determined to find out.

**AUTHOR NOTE: Another chapter down! Hope everyone enjoyed our new friend. Many have asked for some Hermione and Nat to be friends. This will happen, no worries there. Be sure to review and let me know how you like it. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Neither Harry Potter or Marvel are mine, I just enjoy playing with the characters. I only get paid in reviews! **

**Author Note: Wow the love from the last chapter! Thank you all for the reviews! I love seeing them! I didn't plan to bring Nat in just yet, but she just found her way in. That's the beauty of writing unscripted. I have a basic idea or two I want for the chapter, then I just let my fingers do the talking. Big thank you to all of you who have waited patiently for an update! Had some stuff pop up in Real Life that I needed to deal with first. But now it is handled so here is our next chapter!**

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 12: A Little B&E**

Hermione ran out into the pouring rain, her eyes filled with tears. She paid no heed to direction, which is how she found herself in a dead end alleyway. Fear was replaced with anger. Anger at Bellatrix, for what had happened to her, for being so affected, and at herself for not being able to move on.

Angry cries spilled from her. The Valkyrie hummed beneath her skin, burning the dampening bracelets. Her fists beat the fence that blocked off the end of the alley, until finally she collapsed. Head hung low, hair wet and limp covering her face as sobs wracked her small frame.

She wasn't sure how long she had been there, but the sound of someone calling her name brought her back to herself. She hadn't even realised it was raining. She swiped her face with the back of her hand and turned around. It was Natasha.

XX

When Natasha had gotten out the front door, she looked both ways for Helen. The rain made it hard to see, but she managed to catch a glimpse of her as she turned the corner. Nat took off sprinting after her, boots splashing on the wet sidewalk.

She could hear the rapid staccato of strikes on wood. She followed the sound, hoping they led her to Helen. The closer she got, the sound began to give way to sobs. Finally, Nat was at the entrance to an alley. She could hear the sobs, but couldn't see who was crying.

"Helen? Helen is that you?" Receiving no answer she decided to move closer.

"It's me Nat. I was worried about you. I'm coming to you now. Okay? Everything will be just fine."

Helen turned towards her, her eyes flashing a quick gold. Nat reached her and knelt. She reached out and took hold of her hands. Looking for a way to help diffuse the situation, Nat looked around. A half smile played on her lips as she saw exactly where they had knelt.

"You know if you wanted to go swimming, I'm sure you could have just used the gym's pool."

Helen blinked, then followed Nat's gaze. Circe she hadn't even registered that she was kneeling in a dirty puddle. A small giggle escaped. More followed and became a full out laugh.

"Oh! I didn't even-oh I am a mess."

Natasha helped her to her feet. Helena pulled her soaked tshirt away from her skin only for it to stick back almost immediately.

"Come on. I'll give you a lift home. Then you can get warm and dry."

"Thanks Natasha. I really appreciate it."

XX

The ride to Helen's apartment didn't seem to take long. Natasha had been memorizing the directions for future reference. She still wondered what it was that the girl had been through. Unfortunately after the Red Room. Natasha's mind conjured all sorts of horrible possibilities. She really hoped it hadn't been anything like what she had experienced. The idea seemed unlikely though or Shield would have been watching the girl. Still, she had to admit there was something going on with girl. After all, not only had Clint noticed it, but so had she.

Pulling up to the curb in front of her apartment. Hermione turned to Natasha.

"Want to come in for some hot tea and a dry towel? It's the least I can offer."

Nodding, Nat knew she would take the opportunity to get to know Helen better. And if she was lucky, have a look around. Maybe she could find some clues as to what made her tick.

Walking up the stairs to Helen's apartment, Natasha noticed how little security there was here. Maybe her apartment was more secure.

Helen stopped before a door marked 3C. She inserted the key and opened the door to her apartment. Natasha saw her hesitate to enter. Helen's eyes scanned every inch that was visible from the door. Natasha wondered if her apartment had been broken into before.

Upon entering the apartment, Hermione did a quick walk around in the pretence of getting a towel for Natasha. She couldn't place it. But something just felt off. She kept her guard up just in case. Grabbing a towel she headed back to the living room.

XX

Natasha took in the small apartment. It was neat and clean. She was standing there a bit uncomfortably when Helen returned with a towel. She gratefully accepted and began to wring out the water from her red locks. Helen started a kettle of water on the stove.

"I will be right back. A quick shower and dry clothes and by then tea should be ready."

XX

The minute the water started, Nat began giving a more thorough look about. Knowing her time was limited she made quick work of the latch on the window. She would come back later and check things out. She moved to the bookshelf. It was full of all sorts of books. Most seemed to be the usual things you would expect on a shelf. A few classic Jane Austen's, a selection of Norse Myth books and some text books that were most likely from her college classes.

There were a few photos to be found on the shelf. One of an older couple. Most likely Helen's parents. A beautiful blonde woman with a long haired man whose face was scared. The two weren't looking at the camera, but were smiling at each other. It was easy to see how much they cared for each other. Her eyes skimmed the next shelf. Someone was a Shakespeare fan it seemed. But there at the end were two books that caught her eye. Hogwarts A History, and The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger. Dark Arts? Like Voodoo? Her fingers itched to drag the book of the shelf to examine it. But just then the shower turned off.

Not wanting to draw attention to the books, Natatsha stepped to the other end of the shelf and picked up the picture frame located there. The picture was of a young Helen in a school uniform, standing with a messy black haired boy with startling green eyes. She found herself getting lost in them.

Hermione looked at the picture and smiled. "That's Harry. My best friend, practically my brother. We've been friends a very long time now."

Natasha put the photo back on the shelf and gave it one last look. "Is Harry here in New York too?"

"No. No. He is back in London." She said with a sad sigh.

"Harry doesn't approve of New York?"

Helen set to getting the tea prepared. She carried a small tray into the living room and set it on the coffee table. "More like Harry doesn't know about New York. None of my friends do actually."

Natasha looked at her curiously. "None of them know? What about your parents?"

A sad smile graced Helen's lips. They loved New York. We came once for Holiday when I was younger. They passed a few years ago."

"I'm so sorry. So you are here all alone? Why haven't you at least told Harry? You said he was like your brother. He must worry about you."

"I know he does. But there were circumstances that made it impossible for me to continue on as I had been. The last few years have been- well right horrid. Things happened and every where I looked there was always something to remind me just how awful it had been. Nothing was getting better, if anything it seemed worse. Harry and I were separated for a few months. He was in the hospital for months after an accident. By the time he was released, I had already packed up and left London. And I just haven't been able to go back."

Natasha took a sip of her tea as she processed what she had heard. Finally curiosity won out. "You said the last few years were horrible. And Harry had an accident. Were the two related somehow?"

Helen sighed. How could she explain? Natasha was lovely and it felt so good to have someone she could talk to. Maybe she could tell her a vague version and make it count.

"Yes. There was this bad guy. He was staging a takeover of power. And for awhile he was successful. He hated those he considered of lesser breeding. Sort of like Hitler. He wanted those he deemed "unworthy" she spat the word, "exterminated. Harry and I were part of a group fighting against him. We had been for years. We had been on a mission for nearly a year seeking information on how to get rid of him. We were cold. Hungry. Hunted. Tortured."

Helen's eyes were glazed as she appeared lost in the memories. "Finally we were able to confront him. Our side was successful. We had survived. But the cost of our survival was high. We lost many friends and family. Harry and I were the ones to finally take him down. But something happened. And we were both knocked unconscious. By the time I came to. Harry was already in the hospital. And those in charge of his care refused to let me see him.

Being the ones to finally end the conflict brought a certain amount of attention from the public. And without access to Harry- welk they all focused on me. I couldn't leave my flat without nearly being mobbed. The war was over, but things didn't seem to be improving. It was like the government was at a standstill. And things weren't going to improve anytime soon. So I did what I had to, and I left."

Natasha was silent. The girl was a soldier. But how? There had been no news of fighting or a war anytime in the last 50 years in England. If there had been, she was positive S.H.I.E.L.D would have known about it. It isn't like something like that could be covered up. It bothered her. She just knew Helen wasn't lying. She had been involved in a conflict. It was clear as day to Nat that her friend suffered from PTSD.

But still so many things didn't add up. Her brain kept niggling over the details. Then there was the odd sense of power, the glowing eyes, and the mysterious books she had seen. It needed investigating further. Though she learned a lot tonight. At the very least she was going to do some research. A war! Honestly how could S.H.I.E.L.D have missed that one?

XX

Hermione felt like she had explained things in the vaguest yet most non magical way she could. She just hoped that it was enough for Nat to understand and not ask too many questions. She must have done good enough because for a moment Nat was quiet. She looked a bit puzzled but then seemed to move past whatever was troubling her. She kept an eye on Nat as she sipped her tea.

"Nothing like a nice warm cup of tea to warm you up. That's what my mother always said."

Natasha looked at her and smiled. Then she took a sip of her tea as well.

"Sounds like she is a smart woman."

A glimmer of sadness crossed Helen's eyes.

"She was. I lost both my parents. Not long before that mission."

"I am sorry to hear about that. They sounded like amazing people."

"They were. They always supported me. Even when I had no friends at school because I was the odd one who would rather read than play. My Father used to say, Chin up Bunny. Things will get better. In a few years while those other kids are trying to figure out things, you will already be ahead of the game. They will look to you as an example."

They shared a smile. Finally Nat made to leave. She made her excuses, the lateness of the day catching up. Then she wished Helen a good evening and left. Hermione smiled as she cleaned up from their tea. It was nice having a friend. Someone she could talk to. She decided tonight would have been a good night to take a dreamless sleep. Thankfully she had one last dose left. She retrieved the vial from her magic trunk. In her hurry to get in bed, she didn't pay much attention to the latch not catching when she closed the trunk. She prepared for bed and downed the bottle. Pulling the covers up to her chin she never noticed the set of eyes watching from the roof across the way.

Xx

Natasha had left Helen's. She got in her car, drove around the block and called Clint. Filling him in, they decided tonight they would do a little recon. After meeting up, they scaled the fire escape on the building across from Helen's and waited for her to fall asleep. The lights had gone out a half hour ago. And Nat felt safe enough to make their move. They retreated down the fire escape, crossed the road and into the shadows beside Helen's apartment. The building was close to the neighboring one, allowing them to climb up.

Nat braced her feet on opposite walls and propelled herself up, using the spider climb technique. Once she had gotten to Helen's floor she stepped onto the small ledge. A small scraping sound let her know Clint was close behind. Working her way to the corner of the building, Nat looked to see if anyone was around or watching. When she deemed it clear, she turned the corner and stopped at the closest window. This one wasn't Helen's but Nat didn't want to risk being seen. So she did a quick peek before hurrying past the window. A few more feet and she made it to another window. Just one more and she would be at the one she had unlocked.

Once she reached Helen's window she paused and listened to for any movement inside. Hearing none, she slowly began to inch the window open. When it was just open enough for her to squeeze through, she slid into the window. She took a quick look out and motioned for Clint to follow her. Once inside she pulled a small flashlight from her pocket she began to look around. First she silently made her way back to the bookshelf. She had been itching to check out the two books that had caught her eye earlier. She picked up the book about Dark Arts. Opening the cover she was extremely confused to find the book was blank. Nothing was written on a single page. Was this meant to be some sort of decorative journal? Her hand reached for the Hogwarts book. She opened it and found it too was blank. Closing the book she looked at the cover again. Yes there was writing there. Yes there was a picture of some old ruins. Opening the book showed the pages were blank. Nat picked up a 3rd book, a classic this time. A Winter's Tale. Cautiously she opened the book. Ok the words were there. So there were two oddly blank books. So strange.

XX

Clint had moved passed Nat and into the rest of the apartment. Peeking into the bedroom revealed Helen sound asleep in her bed. The room looked ordinary enough. The bed, a dresser, a chest, and a nightstand. On the nightstand was a small glass bottle. Clint stealthily made his way to the nightstand. He picked up the bottle. Using his small pen light he was able to read the label. Dreamless Sleep. There was a small amount of purple liquid left inside the bottle. He tried to smell the contents but couldn't really place the scent. Perhaps it was some herbal remedy? He silently replaced the bottle and looked around again. That was when he noticed the lid to the trunk wasn't closed. He knelt in front of the trunk and slowly lifted the lid, cautious of any sounds.

XX

Nat had entered the room and knelt beside the open trunk with him. Her eyes widened at the contents. There was no way a trunk this size could contain all this stuff. It was physically impossible. Inside were stacks upon stacks of books, a large ornate looking bowl, an old looking pot that reminded her of a witches cooking pot, and jars of all sorts. Picking up the first bottle she read the label (lavender). It wasn't too strange. Many people used lavender for baths or inside drawers to freshen the scent. She picked up a second jar. This one had odd shaped contents. Turning she opened it and smelled it. The scent made her gag. She quickly closed the lid and peered at the label. Mandrake root. What in the world was mandrake root? Was Helen one of those people who only used natural remedies for things? A third bottle's label said Lacewing Flies. What in the world? So maybe not into homeopathy. Maybe Helen was a wiccan? Nat's thoughts strayed again to voo doo.

Clint had picked up some of the books inside the trunk. Tales of Beedle the Bard, Quidditch Thru the Ages, A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration. He opened the books to find them blank. That was odd. He handed the books to Nat. He picked up an oddly wrapped item. Clint started to remove the cloth wrapping. It was a strange, furry book? It appeared held closed by a belt. Being the curious guy he was, Clint sat the book on the floor as he worked at removing the belt. Once the belt was loosened, the unexpected happened. The odd shaped bubbles on top of the book opened and blinked.

Eyes. The book had eyes. What the hell? Next the book appeared to yawn as if shaking off a long nap. The cover of the book opening and closing repeatedly. Both Clint and Nat stared at the book. The multiple eyes of the book seemed to focus on Clint. Suddenly the book began moving towards him opening and closing it's mouth/cover. Clint scrambled back. The book kept advancing. Clint turned and crawled away. The book moved swiftly and latched onto his boot and began chewing on it. Eyes wide he looked at Nat. She hurried forward attempting to free Clint's boot. The book/creature/whatever it was released his boot and turned to snap at Nat. She yanked her hand away just in time to avoid the snap. It then proceeded to go after Nat. She quickly sprung to her feet and backed away. The book was still advancing, snarling and chomping at her. She scrambled into the windowsill to avoid being bitten. It snarled again before it turned its attention back to Clint. Having recovered from the first attack, Clint had regained his feet. When it's attention turned to him he quickly backed into the living room. The book following right after.

When Clint had distracted the book. Nat quickly shoved all the items back into the trunk before closing it. A loud shuffle from the other room shocked Nat. She turned to the bed quickly, but Helen slept on. Quickly exiting the bedroom she almost laughed out loud. Clint was perched on the kitchen counter poking the thing with a wooden spoon. The thing clamped onto the spoon, and Clint was trying to shake it loose. A short of laughter escaped Nat, which unfortunately caught the attention of the book/creature/whatever it was. It turned towards her and began chasing her. She jumped on the couch to get away. Spotting the open window she quickly stepped between the couch and the coffee table before scrambling to the window.

Seeing Nat escape, Clint made a dash for the couch as well. He had almost made it to the couch when it caught his boot lace. Snatching a magazine off the table, Clint began to pummel the thing until it finally released his bootlace and began eating the magazine. Clint dropped the magazine and ran for the window. The sounds of snarling and shredding followed him out. He quickly closed the window, and crept around the edge of the building to spider climb his way down. Once his feet hit the ground, he leaned over and heaved a sigh. Nat laid a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"What the HELL was that? Did that really just happen?"

Natasha's mouth opened and closed, unsure how to answer.

XX

When morning came. Hermione awoke. She stretched her arms above her head and stood from the bed. Sleepily rubbing her eyes, she headed for the kitchen to start the kettle for some tea. She stood in front of the stove, eyes closed half asleep waiting for the kettle. A snoring sound caught her attention. Turning to the sound she saw the Monster Book of Monsters curled up in a sunny spot sleeping away in a nest of shredded paper and a half gnawed wooden spoon. She rubbed her eyes hard and looked again. It was still there. She walked over to the book and stroked it's spine. The book sleepily opened its eyes and let out a contented grumble.

"Well good morning to you too. How in the world did you get loose?"

**AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you all for your patience! So sorry it took me so long to update! Real life can get a bit crazy at times for us all. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Usual applies. I earn no money and don't own anything you recognize. The storyline is all mine though. **

**AUTHOR NOTE: Just a thank you for all the amazing reviews! So glad you all enjoyed the Monster Book of Monsters! I have a feeling this isn't the last we have seen of our chomping friend. Also just to clear up a question about wards with Hermione's apartment. Because she is trying to live as muggle as possible (to the extent she did lock her wand away and only retrieves it for when she HAS to let the magic out), she does not have wards set. If her trunk had shut it would have kept all contents contained until she personally opened it again. She felt secure in this. Also that Dreamless Sleep works like a charm. As always- read, review, ask questions! **

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 13: Holy Big Bird!**

It had been a few weeks since Clint had broken into Helen's apartment with Nat. And still he felt no closer to answers. Nat had left on a mission shortly after the encounter with the chomping thing. She was due back anytime now. S.H.I.E.L.D had been pushing him to go on a mission. He had managed to find ways out of them for the last few. Unfortunately he couldn't continue to put it off. He had tried to wait for Nat to come back, but was unable to. At least this mission should be a quick one. He should only be gone a week at most. That meant the gym would find a fill in for his self defense class that week. He grabbed his gear and switched off his thoughts. He had a job to do. Time for his game face.

XX

Hermione was exhausted. Mentally. Physically. She had barely found time to rest between school and work this week. Every spare minute she had she was studying. Finals were coming, and she had to be prepared. She was so worn out, she was almost ready to call it quits. But she had never been a quitter, so she kept pressing on. Because she had been so busy. she hadn't managed to find time to release her pent up magic. Her skin had passed that itchy, crawly feeling. She was officially numb. Professor Snape's warning played in her head. Numb was not a good thing. She made a mental note to find time this weekend. She would be ok for a little longer. She was sure of it.

It was the night of her self defense class. She hadn't heard back from Natasha this week, so she was unsure if she would be there tonight. Hermione had almost skipped tonight but the thought of the attempted robbery and her freak out a few weeks ago was fresh on her mind. She still found herself a bit jumpy. A big negative about public transportation was that she had no control over when she arrived anywhere. The bus had been running late tonight and so she was late too. Sighing, she pushed open the gym doors. She waved at the front desk girl as she passed by. The other class had already left, so Hermione just went straight in. She placed her bag down, and retrieved her water bottle and towel. She sat in her usual area and began a few brief stretches. She looked around at the usual classmates. She didn't see Natasha, which was disappointing. She felt like she could genuinely trust her. Clint wasn't in sight either. But he could have taken a break between classes, so she wasn't worried. Loud clapping caught her attention.

"Ok! Look alive people!"

Hermione looked to the source of the noise. Who was she? And where was Clint? The woman was over average height. She had long curly black hair that was pulled half up.

"I am Trish. I am filling in for Master Barton this evening. Now, I want you all to pair off and begin to practice your escapes for being pinned. I will walk around and help where I can."

Hermione was a bit thrown by the change. Usually Clint led them through some stretches before he demonstrated whatever they would be working on. But she supposed each teacher had their own style. She had paired with a woman whose name she couldn't remember. The woman decided she wanted to do the escape first. Hermione pinned her, and the woman struggled. The women weren't really evenly matched. Trish had been watching as she escaped, and approached the pair.

"Ok, I can see you weren't confident in your escape here. Perhaps I can step in? Would either of you mind?"

Both women shook their heads.

"Great." She pointed at Hermione, "Mind doing the hold again?"

Hermione resumed her position. The smell of anise filled her nose. The licorice like scent she associated with HER. She shook her head, Bellatrix was not here, she was dead. She brought her attention back to Trish.

"Now, if an attacker has you pinned on the floor, you can pivot to be on top with this Gracie Jiu-Jitsu technique. You place your hands here, and apply pressure. To escape this, hook onto their wrist with one hand and use your other hand to grab behind their elbow, trapping their arm to your chest. Then use your foot to trap their foot and leg, lift your hips and turn over onto your knees to get on top."

XX

Trish managed to flip Hermione and leaned over her. Trish's hair had fallen forward and obscured most of her face. The long curls danced wildly in Hermione's vision. Between the sight and the scent, Hermione was helplessly locked into the memory. She could practically hear the evil bint's cackle as she held her down. No! Hermione rebelled. She couldn't go through this again! Her hands stretched up and wrapped around Bellatrix's neck and squeezed as she flipped their positions. Bellatrix immediately began to struggle. Her hands clawing at Hermione's, desperately fighting for air. The sound of screaming hardly penetrated the fog of the memory of Bellatrix's face.

Hands pulled at her, trying to pull her off Bellatrix. But Hermione was stronger this time. She fought back. Another set of hands joined the previous pair and finally she was pulled away from Bellatrix. She scrambled and fought to get back to her. She had to finish this before Bellatrix finished her. Someone slammed her into the ground and placed their knee on her back. She screamed in frustration. She had been so close! Someone had restrained her hands behind her back. She struggled and panted, desperate to break free. The magic dampening cuffs dug into her wrists tightly. She could feel them burn as they suppressed the flair of magic her body was trying to force out. Eventually sounds become clearer, her blurred memory faded. Trish was across the room shakily taking deep breaths as she talked to someone. A soothing deep voice began to calm Hermione's frayed nerves.

"It's ok. Come back to us. Whatever happened is over. They can't hurt you anymore. Big breaths for me. In- hold it. Good girl. Now slowly release. Good. Do it again. Good girl. Keep going. Just relax. Excellent. I'm going to release your hands now ok?"

The hands around her wrists loosened. Hermione lay still on the floor, her face pressing against the mat.

XX

Clint had returned sooner than expected from his mission. A glance at his watch told him if he hurried he could still be present for most of the self defense class Trish had filled in for him. He was not expecting the chaos that seemed to explode a mere moment before he walked in. Helen had began strangling Trish and seemed to be absent from the present. He recognized it for what it was. Helen had PTSD. He didn't doubt it at all. He raced across the room and helped another man pull her off Trish. He pinned her down with his knee and captured her wrists and held tight. Helen fought him, her eyes wild and unseeing. He did his best to bring Helen back to the present. He encouraged her in the most soothing voice he could. His heart ached to see Helen like this. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through for it to affect her this badly still. She was just so young.

She had finally calmed down. Tears coursed down her face, as she lay limply on the mat. Eventually he was able to coax her into sitting up. For the most part she remained unresponsive. Clint never went far from her side. He spoke to Trish to assess her injuries. Other than some bruising she seemed fine. She was actually pretty understanding about everything. Once he knew she was fine, he went back to Helen's side. He wrapped his hoodie around her shoulders, helped her to her feet and out the door.

XX

Hermione's world seemed like a blur. Her mind was still processing everything. She was vaguely aware that Clint had returned. Clint had bundled her up and buckled her into his car. He was talking to someone on his phone. She wasn't certain, but she thought it might be Nat. They stopped, he helped her out and carried her up some stairs. She heard him asking for her keys. She didn't think she handed them to him, but she must have. Considering the next thing she knew she was being laid down in her bed.

XX

Clint was worried. He wasn't sure that Helen could even understand what was going on. He had gotten her into his car and was headed to her place. He kept trying to talk to her but she didn't acknowledge that she even heard him. His phone rang, and he answered. He was relieved to hear it was Nat. He switched on his bluetooth as he pulled up to Helen's building.

"Nat! Please tell me you are back!"

"What's going on?"

"It's Helen. Something triggered her and she attacked Trish. We were able to seperate them but now she is borderline catatonic."

"Seems like she has been triggering more frequently."

"Yeah it does. Hang on Nat. I have to get her to her door."

Clint unbuckled her seatbelt and helped Helen from the car. He tried to coax her into walking but it seemed like she was rooted to the spot. He gently picked her up and walked up the stairs. It wasn't until he reached her door that he realized he had no key. He tried asking her but she just stared straight ahead.

"Shit. Nat I don't have her key. What should I do?"

"Try the pocket of her backpack. That's where she had them last time."

Clint stands Helen on her feet before hastily unzipping the pocket. He didn't see the keys anywhere.

"No. They aren't here Nat. Now what?"

"Like a locked door has ever kept us out of anywhere."

"Are you suggesting that I-"

"Well unless Open Sesame is going to unlock the door, you have to do something."

Clint quickly looked around the stairwell and hallway. Seeing no one he retrieved a small tool from his pocket. He quickly knelt down and picked the lock. He made light work of the lock and joked with Nat to break up the tension.

"Abracadabra?"

Nat snorted in his ear as he picked Helen up again. He walked in her apartment, he kicked the door closed behind them. He wasn't sure exactly what he should do now.

"She needs sleep. Put her in bed. Make her comfortable. But if I so much as think you tried to perv on her I swear I am telling Laura!"

"Ha! No way! My wife is scarier than you. No way would I even think about facing her wrath."

Clint carried Helen to her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He removed her shoes, took off the bracelets she always wore, and gently took her hair out of the ponytail. He turned and walked to the small bathroom and got a wet washcloth. He cleaned her face and pulled the blanket up over her.

"Ok. I got her tucked in now. I am worried about her though."

" wish she would talk to someone. It would help her. Maybe a therapist? Or what if -"

Clint was distracted from what Nat was saying. His eyes were locked onto Helen. Lightning raced across her form as her body began to rise from the mattress. The blanket slipped off, revealing Helen's body was in fact 4 feet off the bed. Helen's body seemed to convulse. Her body seemed to fold in upon herself before quickly straightening out. Large wings appeared from who knows where. The whole room shook, pictures rattled, and a loud static charge sounded. A large burst of light escaped her, nearly blinding Clint. He threw his arms across his face to protect it. The light hit him and he was thrown off his feet. Clint found himself pushed into the wall and unable to do more than stare at Helen.

XX

Nat wasn't sure exactly what was going on. There was a loud static sound before she heard a thump and the rushing of wind.

"Clint?"

"HOLY BIG BIRD! WHAT THE HELL?!

"Clint? Clint! What's going on?"

"CLINT!?"

Suddenly she heard nothing but dial tone. She tried calling him back.

"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try your call again later."

Nat stared at the phone for a second before jumping up. She grabbed her keys and dashed out the door. The whole way to Helen's she kept retrying Clint's number, only to receive the same message. Unavailable. Horrible scenarios ran through her mind.

She didn't even turn the car off when she reached Helen's. She put it in park and jumped out before sprinting up the stairs. She beat on the door calling for Clint. When he didn't answer she tried the knob but found it locked. Nat backed up, drew her gun and shot out the lock. Bursting into the apartment she stopped. The entire apartment was in shambles. Books were off the shelves, picture frames on the floor. All the windows were broken. She quickly hurried across the living room to Helen's bedroom. Clint was on the floor, pinned to the wall by the large trunk. His mouth was wide open, clearly in shock. Nat turned to see Helen (?) floating off her bed. Lightning crackling through large wings that seemed to protrude from her back. That was the last thing she saw before her world went dark.

**AUTHOR NOTE: Ok! Short chapter this time! I want to hear what you think should happen here! Should Hermione wake up before Clint and Nat? If so how does she go about explaining things? Should they wake up first and leave while trying to process things? Maybe do some research? Let me know what you think! **


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OR MAKE MONEY FROM ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE! STORYLINE IS ALL MINE THOUGH! **

**AUTHOR NOTE: I LIVE! So sorry about the long break! Just had so much going on IRL. But now I am back! I know I left a cliffhanger the last chapter! I have been thoroughly chastised! I needed a bit of a break to deal with evil plot bunnies that kept interrupting my story. Now they have been silenced for a minute and I can focus back on this story. Thank you all for your patience! **

**Chapter 14: Fallout**

Sometimes consciousness comes quickly, other times it is a slow process. Clint was struggling to open his eyes, the sluggish feeling made his brain fuzzy. Something kept tugging on his boot laces. He glanced at his feet to see a blurry brown blob that kept tugging until it pulled his boot off. His ears were ringing. He could barely make out the sound of snarling as the blob retreated under a pile of rubble, dragging his boot with it.

He felt as if his head was underwater. He could hear voices that were distorted. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand a word they said. He shook his head to clear it. As the ringing began to fade, he could make out two separate voices. The quiet, soft tones of a woman. Perhaps the speaker was Helen. The other was a deeper rough voice of a man.

Clint forced himself to focus, and take in his surroundings. Stay calm and assess the situation. First he tried to get up. That was a mistake. He had failed to register that he was pinned to the wall by a large heavy trunk. Pain shot through his chest and leg. Looking around, he saw Nat slumped on the floor not too far away. Thankfully her eyes were open. They met his and they showed the confusion he felt. She glanced around the room and saw Helen on top of the remains of the bed, large wings flowing over the sides. She was still glowing.

Clint wasn't even sure how to process what he was seeing. His first thought was that maybe Helen had been one of Professor Xavier's students. It was the only thing that made any sense, but at the same time just didn't seem like it was the answer.

He turned his attention towards the voices he heard from the other room. He could see an unfamiliar man and woman holding sticks. He blinked to clear his vision. Yep. Sticks. Still there. He must have hit his head harder than he thought he had. It made no sense. Then again nothing about this situation was.

XXXX

It was clear to Nat that she would have to take the lead in handling the situation. Clint was pinned wall by Helen's large trunk. Her gun was out of reach for the moment. Taking a risk, her fingers inched slowly and quietly towards her boot where her knife was located. Her fingertips just made contact with the handle when a woman spoke to her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Nat's eyes shot to the doorway where a woman was pointing a gun at her. Wait, not a gun. A stick. What? Really? Natasha could honestly say this was a first. Being held at stick point. Snickering, she quickly pulled the blade and drew her arm back to throw it. A flash of white from the stick changed her mind.

Her body snapped straight, stiff before falling over, the knife slipping from her hand. She willed herself to move but couldn't. It was if she was frozen. Lord just wait until the guys at S.H.I.E.L.D heard about this one. The feared Black Widow laid low by a stick. She'd never hear the end of it.

A low pained moan came from the wreckage of the bed.

XXXX

Merlin, her whole body hurt. She felt as if she had been trampled by a whole herd of centaurs.

"Miss Granger."

Who was calling her that? No one knew who she was here. She needed to open her eyes. Forcing them open, her vision cleared to show an unfamiliar man pointing his wand at her. She reacted instinctively. Scrambling back away from the man, her wand in hand. Wings aloft. The man froze, gobsmacked at her reaction.

A woman walked over to the man and smacked the back of his head.

"Honestly. She's a war veteran dummy. You NEVER approach one like that. You are lucky she went on the defense and didn't just hex you. Just wait until Jorgenson hears about this. You will be hearing it from him. I promise you that."

Hermione watched the two unfamiliar magicals argue. She focused on the woman when she addressed her directly, hands out front in a gesture of surrender.

"Miss Granger. I know this must be a bit disorienting for you. We are just doing our job. I am Julie Rosier, MACUSA DMLE. Can you please explain why you not only broke the Statute of Secrecy, performed magic in front of no majs and are in possession of wand not registered to you?"

Hermione's eyes widen. Her mind scrambled to explain. Breaking the statute was a big deal. It could mean time in prison. She did not survive a war and deal with all this to end up in prison.

"I didn't mean to. I usually wear suppression cuffs to assure there won't be a problem. See? Oh they aren't on. Well that could be the issue. It was just an accident. I don't usually have a problem."

" I see. And the no majs? and the wand?"

"These are my friends, they just happened to be here. Helping me after a rather painful memory triggered. Miss Rosier. Surely you must understand what someone who is as well known as I am must have trouble enjoying any privacy. After all I did for our world. All I suffered. Don't I have the right to my own life?"

"I haven't used the name Hermione Granger since the day I left Britain. I have tried to avoid even using magic when I can. That is the so called price of my fame. When I decided I needed a new start. I created a new identity and have been using that name since. That is the name the wand is registered to. Please. Haven't I given up enough of my life?"

"That may be Miss Granger. And while we appreciate your sacrifices, the fact remains that the law is the law. Despite your elevated status in Britain, I still have a job to do."

Hermione sighed. She hated to pull the trio card. But if it would help, she would do it.

"I am Hermione Granger, Order of Merlin First Class. One third of the Golden Trio. As such, I have diplomatic immunity within the magical community, so there will be no punishment for the crimes."

Before Miss Rosier could answer, there was a loud stomping of boots and the sound of a door being kicked in. A bald, dark skinned man wearing an eye patch over one eye and a leather trench coat entered the room, gun in hand. Rosier threw her hands up.

"Another no maj? Merlin and Morgana the amount of paperwork I am going to have to do."

She shot her partner a look and the man jerked himself out of his stupor.

"Oh right! Accio gun!"

Three guns zoomed towards the wizard. He was caught off guard and only managed to catch one before the others hit him. One in the stomach, the other smack him in the face. He dropped the one he caught so he could cup his now bleeding nose. The man with the eye patch sat stunned for a second before he started to dive for his gun.

Rosier rolled her eyes. "Oh for Merlin's sake. Stupefy!"

The man collapsed unmoving on the floor. She turned back to Hermione.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. In light of your immunity, I must still urge you to use caution. We would be forced to deport you should another incident occur. The wand must also be re-registered under your correct name. Alias or not, reasons or not. Are we clear?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Rosier turned around and faced the no majs. Sighing she began to obliviate all three before she popped them outside the apartment. Her partner repaired the windows and turned to Hermione.

"Miss G-granger, ma'am. Do you think I could maybe possibly…..getyourautograph?"

His cheeks were flushed and he rushed the last bit as if afraid to lose his courage.

Hermione smiled. "Sure."

Rosier yelled from the apartment door for her partner and the man blanched and rushed off to follow her. Hermione sighed. She began to put her room to rights as she thought about it. On one hand she was fortunate to escape prosecution. But it had cost her two potentially good friends. She sat on the edge of her bed and summoned her compact. She knew Bill and Fleur would have felt the pulse of magic and would be worried. Maybe they would have some advice.


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, then it isn't mine. I just play with the characters. Sadly my bank account does not show any influx from my works. **

**AUTHOR NOTE: Holy Crow! I am so blessed to see over 1,000 follows! That is insane for me! Thank you all so much! A GIGANTIC thank you to the Panda Mafia for all their support and encouragement! **

**Valkyrie**

**Chapter 15: Rituals and Kidnappings**

Clint awoke sitting on a bench in Central Park. He couldn't remember how he got there. But he must have been worn out after his last mission if he didn't even make it home. He leaned forward and braced his head in his hands. He had a headache that was driving him crazy. His eyes opened and looked at his feet.

He peered closer. Tilting his head. What the?! He was missing a boot. One. Not both. Did someone steal it? Why only take one? It made no sense. He made a mental note to check in with Nat later. Shaking his head he gathered himself up and made his way towards home.

XXXX

Natasha had the nagging in her head. After her experiences in the Red Room, she trusted her instincts. Something just didn't add up. She was sitting in a cafe with a cup of coffee in front of her. She didn't drink coffee. She had found she preferred tea after….wait why did she like tea? She had a vague memory of tea with Helen before the memory was obscured by feathers. That didn't make sense. Why would she be here and with coffee?

Natasha looked for other clues. Her clothes and boots were dusty. But that could have happened walking through the city. Beside her foot was a single feather. It was much bigger than birds that frequented the city. She picked it up and a buzzing feeling swept through her fingertips. That was odd. Her brain tried to make her remember where she had felt that before. It didn't come to her but she knew she would keep trying to figure it out. She paid for the coffee and left the cafe, her mind turning the puzzle over in her mind.

XXXX

"Hey Buddy. You got any change?"

Nick Fury awoke with a start. He turned to the man talking.

"Whoa! Whoa! Do I look like an atm? No? Then back the hell off."

He was at Grand Central Station. Why was he here? And why was it so dark in here? He blinked and realised he had he was wearing sunglasses. What the hell? Why would he be wearing sunglasses? His fingers traced his patch. No. Still there. Someone must be having a go at him. One of the S.H.I.E.L.D operatives.

He checked his phone to see a set of coordinates. He remembered the electro-magnetic disturbance that S.H.I.E.L.D had registered. As he had been unable to reach either Barton or Romanov he had gone to check the situation himself. It turned out to be nothing. The computer must have had a glitch. He shook his head and headed back to headquarters.

XXXX

Hermione held the compact in her hand gathering her thoughts before calling Bill and Fleur.

"Petite Colombe! What happened? We were at the Burrow when we felt our necklaces pulse. Is everything alright?"

"I-I'm not sure. I mean yes and no. There was an incident."

At this point Bill's face filled the compact.

"What sort of incident? Do I need to come to you? Tell me where you are and I will be there as quick as I can."

"No Bill. It's sweet of you to offer but there isn't much you can do now."

He grunted and handed the compact back to his wife.

"Ignore him Petite Colombe, the full moon is close and he is feeling the pull. Now tell us what happened."

"Well, I told you about the self defense classes I have been taking. Our instructor was gone. And friend Nat, who is my usual partner had to miss this week too. So we had someone fill in. She had us working a different hold and then we switched to practice the escape. My partner was practicing the hold but couldn't quite get it. The instructor stepped in to demonstrate to her."

"She had me resume the position and….and one minute she was just the instructor. The next, I was back in Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix had me pinned to the floor. All I could think was I couldn't let it happen again. I fought back."

She could hear Fleur gasp.

"I-I don't know how it happened. But somehow I reversed our positions and had my hands around her throat. Someone pulled me off. Apparently our regular instructor had returned. It was him that pulled me off. He held me down until I came back to myself somewhat. Somehow he managed to get me home. I don't know how."

"He must have put me in bed. He took off my suppression cuffs. He didn't know not to. If I had been able to get out this week and expel the excess magic it would be ok. But with the stress of finals I wasn't able to. The magic forced itself out."

"Oh Petite Colombe. It was an accident. We know how you get when buried in research or work. Was he harmed?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I blacked out. When I woke up there was a wizard pointing his wand at me. Apparently the magic pulse was large and MACUSA registered it. They sent Aurors to investigate. It might not have been so bad if there hadn't been two muggles and a wand not registered to me. I have never been so happy to have diplomatic immunity."

Bill growled and snatched the compact back.

"Wait, two muggles? Who else was there? What happened with the Aurors?"

"Well. Diplomatic immunity saved me from being arrested. Some time between getting home and waking up, Nat showed up. I think Clint called her. I have a wand I bought after leaving Britain. I used a new identity to purchase it and it was registered to that name."

Bill snorted.

"Can't say I blame you there. The way people treated you was terrible. And those who didn't know you by face, knew you by name. It was impossible to have privacy."

"That was why I haven't used my real name or wand since leaving Britain. Well that and I knew Harry would attempt to track me down and drag me back."

"That's an understatement. He and Remus both showed up here demanding we go get you. Remus even used his Alpha voice, thank Merlin for the vow protecting anything we knew about where you may be."

"I love Harry. And I do miss him. But right now he is just determined to drag me back and I can't deal with that right now."

"You'll get there one day. Just take it at your pace. So what happened to the muggles?"

"Oh! All three were obliviated. And I was given a strict warning to stay away."

"THREE! Where did the third one come in?"

"Apparently some secret government agency registered the backlash as an electro-magnetic phenomena. The third muggle was an agent who showed up to investigate."

"Merlin's saggy drawers. That's a hell of a day."

"It is. The worst part is that now I have lost two good friends. Clint and Nat were really becoming good friends. They even helped with my PTSD. I know they suspected something was different about me. I honestly was going to tell them. I trusted them, I think they would have kept my secrets. It would've been nice to have someone close know about me."

Fleur took the compact back from Bill and with a slight smirk offered her a solution.

"Oh who do we know who knows anything about reversing curses and things? I think we can arrange a port key to help with that."

A large grin lit Hermione's face. If Bill came and helped her, MACUSA wouldn't know. She could tell him where to find them and she couldn't be connected should their memories happen to return. He could even arrange for them to meet her somewhere. That way if MACUSA was watching her, they wouldn't know what had happened.

"Why Fleur you are positively Slytherin my dear! What do you say big brother? Feel like helping me out?"

His grin was absolutely feral.

"Of course. I do believe I can even get George to make a few portkeys to arrange a reunion for you."

A few minutes was all it took to get plans set in motion. It was agreed that Hermione would apply for a portkey through proper methods so that it would appear as if she had gone home to visit. The next day, Bill would be tracking Clint and Nat and port keying them back once he restored their memories. Thank Merlin George had figured out how to make portkeys during the war and still helped out on occasion. She would have to thank him.

XXXX

Almost two weeks later found Hermione walking the path to Shell Cottage. She was only part way up the path when Bill met her and asked the security question.

"What was the name of the Goblin that helped you escape Malfoy Manor?"

"It was a house elf and his name was Dobby."

Bill turned to look back and Fleur came flying down the path. They took turns hugging Hermione before pulling her inside. It was during dinner they made a slight change in plans. Bill sent a quick patronus to Harry to urge him to visit.

XXXX

Harry had just finished eating dinner and washing dishes when Bill's patronus showed up urging him to visit. What an odd way to word it. Urge. Wait was he trying to tell him it was URGENT? Were he and Fleur in trouble? Harry abandoned the dishes and apparated to Shell Cottage.

Bill was waiting for him at the end of the path to the cottage.

"When the snatchers caught you, what name did you give them?"

"Vernon Dudley."

A nod and a gesture toward the cottage was his reply. Fleur stepped out followed by another girl.

"HERMIONE!"

He ran to her, picked her up, swung her around while squeezing the life out of her.

"Merlin Harry, can't breathe!"

"I'm not sorry. You are lucky I don't use a permanent sticking charm so you can't get away again. I missed you. I didn't even know you were coming home."

"I'm not here long. But I could use your help while I am."

"Anything. Just name it."

"Well you see…"

They spent the evening filling Harry in on what happened. Harry insisted on going with Bill to find Clint and Nat. He stayed at Shell Cottage that night. He and Hermione stayed up late catching up and enjoying each others company.

She had drifted off to sleep by the fire, but he couldn't sleep. He kept worrying he would go to sleep and wake up to find out it was just a dream and that his best friend wasn't there. He couldn't lose her again. Going this long without knowing where she was, not being able to talk, it was unacceptable to him.

Sometime around 3 am he gave up and woke her up.

"Mione. Wake up Mione."

"Harry? What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep until I do something I should have done a long time ago."

"What's that?"

"Hermione Jean Granger, you have been my best friend since we were eleven, my sister in soul. Will you please do the ritual with me and become my sister in magic?"

"Now? You want to do the ritual right now?"

"Yes right now. No chance of you disappearing again."

"I don't even know if we have everything we need."

"Ah but I do."

The two turned to Fleur in surprise.

"Petite Colombe, I had intended to ask you tomorrow. Now it seems like it will be happening tonight instead. Will you do me the honor of becoming my little sister?"

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes.

"Are you sure, Fleur? Is that what you want?"

"Of course! Bill and I already consider you family. Why not make it so?"

"If that's what you want Fleur. I would be honored to have you as a sister."

"Let me go wake Bill and he can help us."

XXXX

Bill had been woken up to officiate the ritual. Before drawing the ritual circle he had cleansed the area with sage. Fleur, Harry and Hermione had each taken turns to prepare the items needed to complete the ritual.

Since Fleur had already prepared the potion they split it in half and added a strands of their hair. One for Hermione and Fleur. One for Hermione and Harry. They took the time to prepare their personal vows. The rest of the preparation consisted of drawing the circle, runes and lighting the candles.

The chalk outline was drawn with care, the runes exact for what they wanted. Hermione used a combination of runes in elder futhark. Ones for protection, family, love, clarity and forever. Once the candles had been placed at their appropriate spots and lit, Bill held a small bowl in hand and starting clockwise used the smudgings to close the circle.

"Now I close the Sacred Circle. The Circle is closed so that only love may enter or leave its field. As I will it, so mote it be."

Hermione entered the circle in the middle of Fleur and Harry, their hands clasped in hers. In their opposite hands they held the ribbons they would use to bind themselves to her.

They knelt in the center and took a deep breath. Hands still holding Hermione's tight, they closed their eyes. Harry and Fleur let the love they had for Hermione fill them as she focused on her love for them.

Bill's hands held the cups containing the potion steady as he entered the ritual circle. His deep voice filled the room as he began. He poured half of one cup on Harry's head, anointing him with the potion.

"Harry James Potter, do you take Hermione Jean Granger as your sister?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to share your magic with her as you would a sibling?"

"Yes, I do."

He anointed Hermione with the rest of the potion.

"Hermione Jean Granger do you take Harry James Potter as your brother?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to share your magic with him as you would a sibling?"

"I do."

"Speak your vow now."

Harry wrapped their hands in the ribbons. Purple for loyalty, grey for security, white for clarity, and gold for familial love. He looked into her eyes as he spoke.

"I, Harry James Potter take you Hermione Jean Granger as my sister in magic from this day forward. I vow to love you. I vow to protect you in times of strife. I pledge my life and magic for your cause. So mote it be."

Hermione smiled as she began her vows.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger take you Harry James Potter as my brother in magic from this day forward. I vow to always stand by your side. I vow to love you unconditionally. I pledge my life and my magic for your cause. So mote it be."

There was a flash of golden light as the ribbons bound the two as siblings and the magic entwined their cores.

Next he turned to Fleur and anointed her with half the other cup of potion.

"Do you Fleur Delacour Weasley take Hermione Jean Granger as your sister?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to share your magic with her as you would a sibling?"

"I do."

He anointed Hermione again with the rest of the second cup of potion.

"Hermione Jean Granger do you take Fleur Delacour Weasley as your sister?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to share your magic with her as you would a sibling?"

"I do."

"Speak your vow now."

Fleur wrapped the same colored ribbons around their joined hands.

"I Fleur Delacour Weasley take you Hermione Jean Granger as my sister in magic from this day forward. I vow to give you shelter in times of need. I vow to be your confidant in all things. I vow to love you whole heartedly. I pledge my life and my magic to your cause. So mote it be."

Hermione smiled through the tears threatening to fall.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger take you Fleur Delacour Weasley as my sister in magic from this day forward. I vow to honor your family in all endeavors. I vow to provide protection for you and your future children. I vow to stand beside you in times of strife. I pledge my life and my magic to your cause. So mote it be."

Another flash of gold, and the bonds entwined in their cores. Bill finished the bindings.

"So they have sought, and magic blessed. From this day forth you are siblings in magic. So mote it be."

Bill finished the ritual. Counter clockwise this time. He used the smudgings as he said the prayer.

"The Circle is open, but remains unbroken. Everything comes back to what it was before. May this space and those who inhabit it stay protected forever. Merry met, merry part, and merry meet again.

The runes around the circle glowed brightly, a wind swept around the circle extinguishing the candles.

The new siblings hugged each other, shed a few tears and celebrated with a glass of wine each.

XXXX

Bill Weasley wasn't used to this type of mission persay. But he would do anything for his family, including newly adopted sister in law. That was how he found himself enrolling both him and Harry in a self defense class in America.

Oh sure they could have just waited outside. But listening to the things Hermione had talked about, he decided to check it out. After all if he lost his wand he wanted to still be able to protect himself and his family. Most wizards would be completely caught off guard by a muggle tactic. Plus if he got up close they could plant the portkeys on their targets.

Both he and Harry were clumsily warming up as he kept one hand on the compact. The was to discreetly show the people he thought were Clint and Natasha to Hermione, who would nod if they were correct. She had already confirmed Clint. They were just hoping Natasha would show.

Beside him Harry had suddenly stiffened. He turned his head to check on him. Harry was struck still, his mouth gaping open. Oh he knew that look. It was how he had first looked at Fleur.

"Alright there Harry?"

A sputtered sound was his reply. He followed Harry's gaze to the red headed woman. Oh Hagrid's Hairy Sac! She had to be Natasha. A quick flip of his wrist showed the mirror. Hermione's nod was all the confirmation he got before he snapped it shut and stored it in his pocket.

Leave it to the Golden Boy to find another red head. He nudged Harry to get him to focus. His mouth snapped shut and he shook his head. Originally Harry was supposed to plant the portkeys. But seeing him now, Bill decided he better be the one to do it.

He only understood parts of what Clint was describing, the unfamiliar muggle terms tripping him up. The hands on demonstration was a whole other story. Bill was a hands on wizard, it was one of the reasons he had gone into curse breaking. He excelled at the maneuvers. Though he wondered if some of it wasn't due to the touch of lupine traits he had.

He planted the first portkey on Clint easily when he came over to correct Harry's form. Getting one on Natasha was harder. He only managed a chance when they took a water break. He brushed by her to head to the water fountain, slipping the portkey on her. He secured it with a quick sticking charm.

XXXX

Harry was struggling. He remembered Remus and Sirius telling stories of how tongue tied his father had been around his mother early on. It wasn't something Harry could really see. Sure, when he was a younger wizard he had his issues talking to girls. Merlin the Yule Ball had been close to a disaster. He still felt bad for Pavarti. But he had grown more confident. He could talk to a woman. He could. Just apparently not this one.

And of course she had to be a redhead. What was it with Potter men and redheads? He had tried to speak to her early only to choke on the words. His blush reached his ears as he turned and fled. Natasha's eyebrow rose in amusement.

When the class was over, he and Bill waited around. Natasha and Clint were quietly talking in a corner. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but Bill's hearing was better. He nudged Harry toward the two and gestured towards the door. A flick of his wrist locked the door, and a quick muffilato secured the upcoming conversation.

XXXX

Clint had enjoyed this class. Perhaps it was the amusement he got out of watching the dark haired man struggle to keep from looking at Nat. He had seen many men look at her. She was a rather beautiful woman. But those others were looking at her with lust.

This man. Harry, he heard his companion call him, it was different. Harry was looking at Natasha as if she had hung the moon and stars. He had discreetly kept an eye on Harry. He noticed that while he had admired Nat. He never once did the slow look to take in her body. He was focused solely on her face.

Perhaps he should have been worried, but for some reason there was something familiar feeling about Harry. And Bill for that matter. He couldn't put his finger on it. But he could feel power. Oddly enough while Bill was the larger of the two, it was Harry who exuded the most power.

When class was over, he had given Nat a good ribbing about her fan club. In a surprising turn of events, a faint blush crossed her cheeks. He didn't think he had ever seen her blush. For a moment he was speechless. Thankfully he recovered quickly.

They were just discussing the missing Helen. Neither had heard from her in almost 2 weeks. She hadn't returned any phone calls, or come to last week's class. Natasha had even gone by her apartment, yesterday but her knocking had gone unanswered. It was definitely odd behavior for her. Their discussion was interrupted by Bill and Harry.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help but overhear. You mentioned a young woman named Helen?"

"What's it to you?" Clint asked defensively.

"What if we told you we knew where she was?" Bill asked with a mischievous look.

Cautiously Clint asked, "Who are you and how do you know Helen?"

"She's my sister!" Harry blurted out.

"Wait, sister? I didn't know she had a brother."

"Oh that's because we just did the ritual last night."

"HARRY!"

The dark haired man looked chastised, his cheeks blossoming in a bright red.

"Listen. I know it sounds odd and we promise to explain. But what if you could see Helen again, would you?"

"Of course. What kind of question is that?"

Bill and Harry shared a look before stepping closer to them. All of a sudden Bill grabbed his arm as Bill yelled home! There was an odd sensation of being squeezed and twisted. The next instance found him face down in sand trying not to lose the contents of his stomach.

XXXX

When Clint and Bill had disappeared, she stood completely still. Her brain couldn't quite comprehend exactly what she had seen. Harry grabbed her arm before she snapped out of her stupor.

"I'm sorry about this by the way. Home!"

A terrible tightening robbed her of her breath. Just when she was sure she would pass out the squeezing was gone. She sucked in a breath and tried not to vomit. Her knees buckled and hit sand.

"What the hell was that? And where in the hell are we?" She rasped out.

"Hello Nat. Good to see you again. Clint, it appears for once you are the one caught off guard." Hermione chuckled.

"Helen?"

"Actually, it's Hermione. Hermione Granger."

**AUTHOR NOTE: Hope you enjoyed! Be sure to read and review! Next up is the big reveal! **


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, then it isn't mine. I just play with the characters. Sadly my bank account does not show any influx from my works. **

**AUTHOR NOTE: I must have restarted this chapter 5 different times. I kept getting way off from what I wanted. Hopefully you still enjoy this one! **

**Valkyrie**

**Chapter 16: it's Magic!**

_Previously:_

_"What the hell was that? And where in the hell are we?" She rasped out._

_"Hello Nat. Good to see you again. Clint, it appears for once you are the one caught off guard." Hermione chuckled. _

_"Helen?"_

_"Actually, it's Hermione. Hermione Granger."_

XXXX

Bill and Hermione led Clint and Nat into the cottage where Fleur had tea waiting for them in the living room. Having recovered from the sudden kidnapping, Clint held his cup in his hands trying to figure out where to start.

"Ok so someone better start explaining. Starting with who you all are, what that was, and how do we avoid doing that again?"

Hermione giggled. Bill held out his hand. "Well if you didn't catch it earlier, I'm Bill Weasley. This is my wife Fleur. That is Harry Potter. And well you know Hermione, aka Helen."

Hermione answered the rest. "That was a form of travel we use often, known as a portkey. I am sorry it was a sudden jarring, but it was the best solution we could come up with."

"Where are we?" Nat asked.

"This is my home, Shell Cottage. We are currently on the outskirts of Tinworth, Cornwall, near the coast." Bill said.

"Cornwall, as in England?"

"Yes."

"How did we get all the way here from New York?"

"Magic." Hermione said mischievously.

They were met with silence, eyes darting between them in search of any sign that would show they were joking.

"Magic," the four magical folk clarified.

"Magic?" Clint echoed disbelievingly.

"Yes magic does exist, it's just kept a secret and hidden from the world. We have our own communities, villages, towns and cities. We have our own government, schools, hospitals and banks, modes of transport, medication, laws, sports, music. We have doctors, professional athletes, policemen, lawyers, musicians, teachers, bankers and accountants, shop owners, animal preservationists. We have everything you do only we have magic to aid with our day to day life and we're hidden from you."

Clint was shocked. A whole world hidden. What exactly did that mean? Was it like the Mutant society? He had to know more.

"Magic, like pull a rabbit out of a hat magic or Professor Xavier type magic?"

Hermione and the others shared a confused look.

Harry shrugged. "Well I am not sure who this Professor is, or what his magic is like. But I doubt it is the same as our magic, considering it's against the law to reveal magic to muggles."

"Muggles?"

"A muggle is a human that doesn't possess any magical ability."

"What are you?" He asked with a narrowed gaze.

"I'm a witch, as is Fleur. Bill and Harry are wizards."

"A witch? Like Wicca?" Nat asked.

"No. Wicca is a faith or religion, based on a reverence of nature, the practice of magic, and the worship of a deity. While Fleur and I are witches, Bill and Harry are wizards. We are born with our magic. We use a wand to harness our magic and focus our spells."

Clint watched as Helen pulled a stick from her sleeve and said something he didn't understand. His eyes almost popped out of his head when a blue flame appeared in her outstretched hand.

"This is a bluebell flame. It doesn't burn, but provides heat, and light. It is also waterproof. Go ahead, touch it. It won't hurt you."

Clint reached out and stopped just short of touching the blue flames. He could feel the heat coming from them, but could easily see her hand was not being burned. Steeling himself he stretched his fingertips out. They went into the flames, yet he felt no pain. It was incredible. Nat was next to him touching the flames too.

"I thought witches were supposed to have green skin, a pointy hat, boils and warts and a black cat? Go around turning people into toads and flying on a broom?" Clint questioned.

"No, all of that's a load of stereotypical rubbish. Well, I admit we do fly on brooms, me however, never had the talent for it. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. We do have pointed hats but we only wear them in school for special occasions. We do also have familiars, usually a cat, owl or toad. I had Crookshanks."

"Others called him the reincarnation of Satan," Harry added with a smirk.

"He wasn't that bad," Hermione cried.

"He attacked anyone that wasn't you, me, Sirius or Remus. And even then, he took a swipe at Remus a few times."

"He was a good judge of character; he brought us Sirius, didn't he?"

Harry's expression softened. "Yes, yes, he did."

"What's a 'Crookshanks' and where is it?" Nat asked.

"He was my cat. He was part kneazle, a magical breed. He died during the war."

"War?" Clint echoed.

Sadness washed over the others in the room, their posture stiffening.

"Yes, a war," Fleur said softly.

"You now know that we are witches and wizards. There was a war, a truly terrible one. There is always good and evil in the world. In the Wizarding World, we have four classifications, or blood statuses. First, we have a Squib, which is a child born to magical parents but the child does not possess magic themselves or has very little magical potential and as such, they tend to live their lives here in the Muggle World, away from magic and amongst the muggles.

Next, we have Muggleborns, which are magical folk that are born to muggles, humans without magic. My biological parents were without magic, I am a Muggleborn. Then we have Half-bloods, which are born to either one muggle and one magical parent, or two magical and none Pureblooded parents, which I'll mention in a moment."

"I'm a Half-blood," Harry told them. "My mother was a muggleborn and my father a pureblood wizard."

"And finally we have Purebloods, which are magical folk that are comprised of solely magical lineage with zero muggle ancestry and the older Pureblood families can trace their magical lines back centuries, some even millennia."

"I am a Pureblood," Bill shrugged.

"Most Purebloods look down on anyone who is not a Pureblood. They think less of us. Some Purebloods even think that muggleborns stole their magic. Hench the appearance of squibs. Obviously that isn't true."

"Wait." Clint said. "Does that mean that Bill's family thinks that way? And I noticed you didn't say what status Fleur was."

"My family are Purebloods yes. But in our world we are called blood traitors because we do not follow all the supremacy beliefs."

"I am what you would call half-human. I am a quarter Veela."

"What's a Veela?" Clint asked curiously.

"Veela are semi-human magical beings. They have the appearance of young, beautiful women usually with white-gold hair and moon-bright skin. They have the ability to hypnotise and mesmerise most men with their seductive dance, who will then try to impress them." Hermione explained.

Clint shifted uncomfortably as he looked away from Fleur. "Don't worry! You have nothing to fear in that regard. I do not use my abilities." Fleur soothed.

"When Veela are angered, they transform into something more like Harpies — a bird like creature. Their faces turn into cruel-beaked bird-like heads while long scaly wings burst from their shoulders, and they can launch balls of fire from their hands. It really is quite scary. Good thing Fleur is on our side, yes?" Hermione joked.

"Now that you know of the different blood groups and the blood supremacy that we face in our world, we shall explain the war," Bill spoke, nodding to Hermione in encouragement.

"Well, decades ago, a dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort emerged. No one had seen anything like him. Imagine Hitler, but with magic. Voldemort had a hatred for everything, and I mean everything. He craved power and knowing of the beliefs most Purebloods held. He was charismatic and drew them to his side, using their wealth and power for his own personal gain. He started a war in which Muggleborns and Muggles were targeted for torture and murder. He wanted to exterminate us and our filthy blood," she spat. "Purebloods that stood against him and his followers, Death Eaters, were labelled as blood traitors."

"That's me, I'm a blood traitor," Bill joked proudly as he raised his hand high, sending her a wink. Her mouth twitched into a smile and she sniggered at him.

"Well, they were targeted, too, and unless He believed they could be persuaded to join his side, they were killed. Don't get me wrong; the majority of his followers joined his cause willingly but we know some were forced through the Imperius Curse or blackmail."

"What's the imperius do?" Clint asked.

"There's many forms and branches of magic in existence, but the majority of them fall into three categories. Light Magic which is good, Grey Magic which is the middle ground, maybe a little dodgy and then Dark Magic, which is known for its horrendous and life taking curses. There is a fourth category, the Unforgivable Curses. There are three of them and the use of any one of them is an automatic prison sentence in Azkaban, and it's certainly a place everyone wishes to avoid."

Harry continued, "Azkaban sits on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is guarded by dark creatures known as dementors and they feed on every bit of happiness in a person, sucking it out of their bodies, causing them to relive their crimes. They hear and see every person they have ever wronged or harmed, every minute of every day." Hermione's hand had moved to grip Harrys' tightly.

"If a sentence of the dementor's kiss is given, you will be but a shell of a human being, you can't eat, speak, sleep, or function really. They suck out the soul and feast on it, stealing a person's very life force."

"The three Unforgivables are the Imperius Curse which is basically, mind control. It allows the caster to get inside the victim's mind and control every action or word and the victim is powerless. Death Eaters are known for using it on families that stand against them. Many Death Eaters claimed they had been imperiused after the first Wizarding War." Bill explained.

"The second is the Cruciatus Curse," Hermione said quietly, flashbacks of Malfoy Manor haunting her mind. "It's the Torture Curse. To cast it you have to wish for the most unimaginable pain to be projected on the victim, you have to hate them so much that you want them to suffer. If you suffer under it long enough, you'll be begging for death just so the pain stops." Fleur and Harry both reached for her hands. "It feels as though white-hot knives are carving into you, as though your blood is being boiled and every bone in your body is being shattered into a million pieces, like you're choking, suffocating on your own blood."

"You speak as though you have experience with it," Nat said quietly.

"I do; several experiences," she whispered.

"The final Unforgivable Curse is the Killing Curse," Harry finished. "As you can imagine, it is instant death if you are hit with it. The majority of magical spells can be blocked or deflected, but these three can't be. If one is heading in your direction, you either get out of the way and quickly or you're struck, your life is over no matter the curse."

"We've gone way off topic," Hermione said.

"Voldemort gathered followers and he used them to do his dirty work. These followers, called Death Eaters, had no problems using the Unforgivables on anyone. Voldemort even used it on his own followers and still the dunderheads worshipped him. Over the years his forces doubled and he became bolder in his movements." Bill said.

"My parents had just graduated Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, created a secret organisation, named the Order of the Phoenix. The Order was dedicated to defeating Voldemort and protecting the innocents." Harry explained.

"In our world, the Wizarding World, there are ways to predict the future. Centaurs use Astronomy- yes centaurs are real," Hermione said, noticing their shocked expressions. "We have Seers and we take Divination classes for it at school."

"Which she hated," Harry snarked..

"Trelawney was not a Seer! She was a fraud! Please, predicting your constant death, and that Neville's gran was ill. Honestly, what a load of absolute rubbish..."

Bill cleared his throat, stopping Hermione's words.

"Sorry," she muttered, cheeks flushing.

"Anyway, a prophecy was made which stated a child that was born as the seventh month dies would be the end of Voldemort. Of course, him being the nutter he was, when he discovered this, he targeted all families with a child that was born towards the end of July. James Potter married a Muggleborn witch, Lily Evans, and they had a little boy, Harry." Hermione smiled affectionately at her brother. "Voldemort narrowed it down to the Potters and our friend Neville's parents, the Longbottoms."

"Alice and Frank Longbottom were good people, two of the best Aurors of the time," Bill injected.

"Aurors?"Clint asked confused.

"Magical policemen," he explained and they nodded in understanding. "Their son, Neville was born the day before Harry. Death Eaters broke into their house and tortured them with the Cruciatus. They survived, but barely. They were tortured to the point of insanity. They've been in St. Mungo's psychiatric ward ever since."

"St. Mungos?" Nat asked quietly.

"Magical hospital," he muttered.

"Neville was raised by his Grandmother," Hermione picked up, a fond tone to her voice. "The Potters had been placed in a safe house a year prior,shortly after Harry was born. We have a form of magic that can hide a property so that it exists only to those that are told the address by the Secret Keeper. Only those who know the secret can see the property or enter and exit. The Secret Keeper is the only one who can tell the address to another. Even if you know it yourself, you won't be able to tell anyone. We call it the Fidelius Charm."

"There were only five people that knew of the address for the safe house. James and Lily, Sirius, Dumbledore and Peter Pettigrew, he was the fourth member of my father's group," Harry said.

"On October 31st 1989, the Secret Keeper betrayed the Potters. Voldemort showed up, killing my father, James, who was unarmed. My mother Lily was in my nursery and she sacrificed herself for me. Refusing to step aside and throwing herself in front of the Killing Curse. Voldemort turned his wand on me to do the same, but something went wrong. The Killing Curse backfired and struck Voldemort, and a one-year-old baby, saved the wizarding world," Harry explained, letting out a ragged breath.

XXXX

Nat's head was reeling. A whole world, completely hidden from view. A war S.H.I.E.L.D knew nothing about. It baffled her how they were able to keep everything hidden. And now, because of a mother's love, a child had saved them. She felt for Harry. How his young life had been turned upside down in the blink of an eye. She stole a glance at Harry.

"Sirius, Harry's Godfather was arrested for not only killing Pettigrew, who was their Secret Keeper, but also for killing James and Lily and twelve innocent muggles. He didn't do it. He was set up. The Aurors believed that Sirius was the Secret Keeper, and he had betrayed the Potters." Hermione said.

"Everyone knew how close my Father and Sirius were. They considered each other brothers. Pettigrew, was the least likely to be chosen. He wasn't the obvious choice for Secret Keeper. It was Sirius who suggested the switch. But no one knew Pettigrew was really a Death Eater on disguise. He had been a spy in the Order's ranks and no one knew," Bill said.

"Sirius was sent to Azkaban, where he stayed for twelve years, they didn't even give him a trial." Hermione said with tears in her eyes.

"After Voldemort was defeated Harry had no other relatives. Sirius was his Godfather but in prison and the remaining friend, Remus, wasn't allowed custody because he was a werewolf. There's a lot of prejudice in our world regarding werewolves, it's honestly ridiculous. Not only do they have to register themselves with the government, nobody will hire them, so they don't have jobs. Do you know they're not even allowed to enter hospitals, or receive medical treatment unless they can find someone to do it privately?" Hermione said angrily. "They're treated just as bad as Muggleborns, worse even."

"Back to the point, Petite Colombe," Fleur said gently, stopping her angry tirade.

"Sorry," she sighed.

Bill smiled affectionately at her before continuing, "For eleven years the wizarding world was safe again. Harry was taken into the Muggle World to be raised by his Aunt and Uncle."

"Who were horrid human beings!" Hermione exclaimed angrily. "Not only did they emotionally abuse him for years, and make hin work like a house elf, they also made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs until he was eleven," she said angrily.

Harry laid a hand on her shoulder, and the two shared a look, a whole silent conversation passing between them. That these two cared for each other was obvious. Nat knew from casual observance that most would think they were intimate. But Nat could analyze people and situations better than most. There was emotional intimacy in the way they were. But Nat could tell it wasn't one of physical intimacy. It was like the relationship she had with Clint. One of deep understanding, emotional connections. It spoke of how much they had been through. Hermione took several calming breaths.

"Neither myself or Harry were aware that magic existed. All Purebloods live in the Wizarding World. The majority of Half-bloods do as well. But Muggleborns tend to live in the Wizarding World once they learn of it and have graduated from Hogwarts. Since both our guardians were muggles, we didn't know about it until a letter showed up along with a Professor." Hermione chuckled fondly, "My parents nearly fainted when Professor McGonagall turned the teapot into a rabbit."

"And because my Aunt and Uncle kept it from me, I didn't find out until then. Of course, they knew about it, with my mother, Lily, being Aunt Petunia's sister. We met on the train to Hogwarts, along with Ronald Weasley." Both Harry and Hermione looked a bit disgusted..

"There are books on the Wizarding World about Harry, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived", that's what they call him. Hermione rolled her eyes. "The Killing Curse can't be stopped and yet Harry survived due to his Mother's sacrifice. Ronald and I didn't get along at first, until I was attacked by a mountain troll, that is."

"Mountain troll?"

"Yes, Clint, a mountain troll, they're real. Disgusting, and smelly too," she grimaced. "This one was thirteen-feet tall, had ugly green skin, was obese, smelled horrific and carried a club half my size. Anyways, long story short, I was cornered in the girl's bathroom and injured and they came to my rescue. From that moment on we were referred to as 'The Golden Trio' and have been since."

Harry smiled fondly. "We were inseparable then, you'd hardly see one of us without the other."

"We somehow discovered there was a magical stone hidden in the castle, for protection. This stone was known as the Philosopher's Stone and it held the power of immortality, you know, without the whole drinking blood thing," she added, the others chuckled.

"Unicorns are real. And you can drink their blood?" Nat looked faint.

"The blood of a unicorn can bring the drinker back even from the brink of death. But it also curses the drinker to live a half life. It is a crime against nature to slay something so pure." Fleur said.

"We had a rather terrifying experience in the Forbidden Forest where we discovered that Voldemort wasn't dead, just defeated and he was trying to return to full power. We knew he had help, and we were certain that it was Professor Severus Snape. He was a former Death Eater, who turned spy for the Order during the First War." Harry explained.

"That implies there was another," Nat mused.

"There was," Harry sighed. "We got into a lot of trouble that year. Smuggling baby dragons to Romania, sneaking around the castle, someone jinxing my broom and trying to kill me."

Hermione giggled as their eyes widened in shock. "It wasn't until almost exam time that we faced a near-death experience." She smirked as she added, "Trust me, there's been plenty over the years."

"We found out that Voldemort was going to steal the stone and we tried to warn a Professor, but it didn't go to plan. The details are a little hazy but after a series of deadly trials; including a three-headed dog bigger than a school bus, magical lethal plants, a barbaric life-sized game of wizard's chess and a deadly potions riddle. I'm not certain on what happened next, I escorted an unconscious Ron to the hospital wing and Harry was never clear about the details but I know that he was victorious and he fought off Voldemort."

"And it wasn't Professor Snape, it was Professor Quirrell who was sharing his body with Voldemort, that was after the stone. It's confusing, I know, but the stone was destroyed for good." Harry said.

"You know this might be easier if we showed them." Hermione suggested.

"Pensieve?"

"Pensieve."

Clint look amused for a moment before asking, "What's a pensieve?"

"It's a way to store and view our memories. It might make things easier to understand if you can see them." Bill explained.

"Seeing is believing," Nat said.

"Exactly," Harry agreed.

He blushed when Nat focused on him. Luckily he didn't hold her undivided attention for long.

Fleur hurried from the room. When she returned she sat a large bowl, filled with some type of liquid on the table. She looked expectantly between Hermione and Harry. The two exchanged glances before they put their wands to their head and began pulling what appeared to be wispy silver strings that they placed in the bowl.

"Let me check and make sure they are all sorted," Hermione said.

And with that she stuck her head into the bowl, pushing her face completely in the liquid. Nat and Clint looked at each other. When she didn't quickly pop her head out, they began to panic.

"Um shouldn't she be popping back now?" Clint asked nervously.

"Nah. She's fine," said Harry.

Another thirty seconds passed and Clint was sure she was going to drown. Were her friends just going to let it happen? Nat twitched beside him. They looked at each other before they both jumped, grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and pulled her out of the liquid.

Hermione sputtered in confusion. "What did you do that for?"

Nat and Clint started yelling at the same time.

"You were under way to long…"

"They were just letting it happen….."

"No drowning on my watch…"

"Not happening!"

They were interrupted by laughter.

"It isn't funny! She could have drown! What kind of friends are you?"

Hermione threw herself at them and hugged the life out of them.

"It's ok. It isn't what you think. I was in no danger. I promise. But it is nice to know you care about me that much."

Nat blinked. Then blinked again.

"Well that was awkward," Clint said.


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, then it isn't mine. I just play with the characters. Sadly my bank account does not show any influx from my works. **

**AUTHOR NOTE: I was bad and left it with a bit of a cliffhanger. I have been properly chastised. Many thanks to my Pandas who I couldn't do this without. Thanks for all the support and encouragement! Now on with the show! Please note that the history of their years at Hogwarts has been condensed. We know what happened, who needs all the extra details again? **

**The Valkyrie**

**Chapter 17: Down the Rabbit Hole **

Clint rubbed the back of his neck in obvious embarassment. He listened as Helen, no Hermione explained. A pensieve, used to store or view memories. And apparently there was no fear of drowning. Well ok then.

"We told you mostly about our first year at Hogwarts. Now we will view our second year. These are both mine and Harry's memories. Nothing you see can hurt you. It's already happened. Ok? Now just put your face in the pensieve. Harry and I will both go with you to help direct you. Ok?"

Nat and Clint both nodded. Then a quick shake of his head and he did as he had been instructed. At first it felt a bit like dreaming of falling. His stomach swooshed and his instinct was to jerk himself awake. He wondered if this is how Alice had felt when she fell down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland. He found himself standing outside an ordinary looking house with the number 4 as the address. Nat, Harry and Hermione were beside him.

"This is Privet Drive. The home of my Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley." Harry said staring disgustedly at the house.

Hermione grasped his hand in comfort. "It's ok Harry. It's over now remember?"

Harry nodded and led the group through a gate and into the back garden. A small boy dressed in overly large clothes was working in a flower bed. The backdoor opened and a rather rotund man appeared, yelling for the boy..

The boy stood up, hiked the pants back somewhere close to his waist line and wiped his hands on his shirt. As he turned to go inside, they caught sight of the brilliant green eyes and knew this was a young Harry. Clint guessed he was close to 9 or 10 in age.

"How old were you?"

"This was just after my 12th birthday." Harry answered.

Clint raised his eyebrows. He wouldn't have guessed that. They followed young Harry into the house where his uncle was already in the midst of talking to him.

"This is a very important dinner. The Mason's are extremely important. So there will be none of your freakishness do you understand? Tonight you will…"

"I will be up in my room, making no noise and pretending I don't exist," Harry finished.

Vernon narrowed his eyes then nodded before walking off. Harry walked into the kitchen, filled with delicious smells, a large roast with all the trimmings sat on the table. A skinny, long faced woman stood at the counter decorating the oddest looking dessert Clint had ever seen. She looked at Harry before pointing to a plate near the sink. .

"There's your dinner. Best take it up to your room. And remember the rules."

"Yes Aunt Petunia. No noise. No freaky things. I don't exist," he said, picking up the plate.

He sighed as he carried it up the stairs to a small room. A portion of the room was full of broken odds and ends. The other side of the room was kept clean. But it didn't look like a child's room. An owl hung in a cage near the window. Harry went to the bed, sat the plate on the nightstand and tore off some of the pitiful excuse for a sandwich. If one could even call it a sandwich. He fed the portion to the owl. Then there was a popping sound and a small creature with bat-like ears appeared.

"That's Dobby. A house elf," Hermione explained.

They watched as the elf warned him not to return to Hogwarts. When he refused, and asked who he worked for, the elf became agitated and began to punish itself.

It bashed it's head with a lamp, shut his fingers in a door, kept shutting the bedroom door on it's head. Finally it left the room with

Harry scrambling after. He caught up with elf just as it was levitating the dessert off the counter and across the room. Dobby turned around, looked at Harry and snapped his fingers. The dessert fell, right on top of the Masons, and Dobby disappeared, leaving Harry standing there looking shocked.

They watched in anger as bars were placed on Harry's window. The boy worked sun up to sun down. Each night he was locked in his room. The meals he was given were not enough for a growing boy. He went to bed hungry most nights. It made them angry to see how the young boy was treated.

Then one night he awoke to someone calling his name. He went to the window. There outside the window were three red headed boys, in a flying car. An actual flying car. They watched as they attached a chain to the bars and daringly rescued Harry just as his Uncle broke the bedroom door in. They flew off as quick as a wink.

XXXX

Natasha made careful mental notes of situations with the Dursleys. One day she would like to pay them a little visit. Have a not so very pleasant visit with them.

They watched in fascination as the events of 2nd year continued to unfold. The barrier being closed off, the frenzied flying car trip to Hogwarts, the whomping willow. Nat felt a certain understanding when he was the only one who could hear the voices in the castle walls. After her experiences in the Red Room, she sometimes hears whispers of her training when she's on missions. She was thankful to have Clint to ground her, like Hermione seemed to do for Harry. She couldn't help but think they had that in common.

The so called flamboyant Defense professor caused them to snicker when young Hermione's crush was evident. They watched as a cat, students, even a ghost were petrified. Through it all there were the voices only Harry could hear. The whispers followed him. Calling him the Heir of Slytherin. Nat had to admit after they explained the parseltongue bit during the dueling she could understand why people would say it.

Then Hermione herself was petrified, after she discovered the secret to the chamber of secrets. Nat almost lost it when the Basilisk made its appearance. She couldn't imagine having to face that thing. She figured a lot of it was sheer luck, but Harry surviving, slaying the monster, saving the girl, freeing the little elf...it was incredible.

They proceeded to watch each year's events. The images swirling past them. Third year started with an aunt who blew up like a balloon, the infamous Sirius Black (whose name Nat thought sounded familiar), the time turner, a rat in their midst. Dementors, a werewolf, and the rescue of Sirius and Buckbeak.

Fourth year brought with it the Quidditch World Cup, Death Eaters, a deadly tournament, a polyjuiced professor, a Bulgarian bon bon, the vicious Rita Skeeter and a scary rise of the Dark Lord.

Nat had to wonder how they had survived thus far. Fifth year brought Dementors attacking in the muggle world, Harry's court trial, the horrid monstrosity in pink, secret defense clubs, the reformation of The Order of the Phoenix. Then there was the terrifying fight at the Ministry, resulting in a dead godfather, and fortunate Hermione, who had a brush with death after the purple flame slashed into her. She had returned hiding the battle scars. Both Clint and Nat knew it was the mental scars that affected her worse. The haunted look in her eyes had grown after the incident.

If the previous year had been bad, Sixth year was worse. Learning about the Dark Lord's origins, horcruxes, and ferrety Death Eater who snuck others in the castle- resulting in the death of the Headmaster. But nothing prepared them for the next year.

XXXX

"Before we watch this next bit, I think we need a small break. It's just a very difficult year." Hermione explained.

Harry and Fleur held her hands. Bill placed his hands on her shoulders in support.

Watching things happen in a pensieve was a bit disconcerting. It was hard not to react to things sometimes. Clint knew he had flinched several times. Both he and Nat had physically jumped at the sight of the Basilisk. His stomach had rolled when he saw Voldemort return. He had the urge to throw himself into the fight at the ministry. And he knew Natasha's fists had clenched when the werewolf ravaged Bills face and turned his attention to Harry. If they had reacted this much already, and the other needed a moment to collect themselves before the next year started he could only imagine how terrible things were going to be.

He watched Fleur retreat to the kitchen and return with several vials. She handed one each to Harry and Hermione before placing a few more on the table. Clint looked questioningly at the vials.

"Simple calming drought. It is used to help the drinker to calm down and remain calm. They will both need it for this next bit. Fleur and I have only heard bits and pieces of this story. This will be the first time for us to see it," Bill explained.

After a few moments to collect themselves the two gestured to the pensieve. The swooshing, stomach flipping feeling returned before the flashing colors formed a picture. Once again he found himself standing in front of Privet Drive. A teenaged Harry was watching as his Aunt. Uncle and cousin pulled out of the drive, the vehicle loaded with belongings.

They entered the living room to find a group assembled. Some of the faces he was able to recognize now. The Weasley twins. Ron, Bill and Fleur, the crazy-eyed Moody, and werewolf Lupin. There were others he was not familiar with. A tall bald man, whose name he was told was Kingsley Shacklebolt-and he would become the Minister. There was also a fidgety man that Clint had.a bad feeling about. He eyed the man with disgust. He seemed too much like the sort who didn't do anything to help others.

Though they had seen polyjuice before. It was shocking to suddenly see seven Harry Potter's standing before them. When they began to change their clothes to match, he caught Nat running an eye over the closest Harry's chest. She then slyly looked at the grown Harry, as if comparing the younger teen with the man he had become. Clint cleared his throat in an attempt to refocus Nat's attention. It worked and no one else had noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. If he hadn't known her as well as he did, Clint probably would have missed it himself.

It was an odd feeling to be watching from Hermione's point of view as she flew behind Kingsley. Being high up never bothered him. Clint felt most comfortable there. He thought how flying really would be beneficial for their line of work. Suddenly the Death Eaters appeared and Voldemort himself showed up, flying unaided. He gapped at the sight. How was that possible? The colored flashes of light flew all around as spells were flung. Hermione sent out several red "stunners" but wasn't lucky enough for one to hit. One of the other Harry's was grazed by a spell that cut his ear off. Clint had a minute of panic until he remembered that the real Harry wasn't on a broom.

XXXX

Watching the spells being fired at all the Harrys made Natasha feel ill. Especially when one injured whoever was on the back of Lupin's broom. She knew rationally it wasn't her Harry, but she couldn't help the panic. Wait- did she just call him her Harry? What was that all about? The bright green light she knew to be a killing curse headed straight at the real Harry. Her eyes widened as it hit Harry's beautiful white owl. Harry's face when she fell was awful. It rivaled the devastated look he had when his godfather had been killed. She breathed a sigh of relief when almost all the Harrys showed up at the Weasley home. The missing Harry was revealed to be the short, disheveled looking man Fletcher something. He had bailed mid flight, causing Moody to be killed.

Mrs Weasley herded everyone around the next few days as the Burrow (odd name for a house she thought) was prepared for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Natasha had seen the looks passing between the young Weasley girl and Harry, and she vaguely saw the similarities. Perhaps Harry had a thing for redheads? She hoped whatever was happening between her and Harry wasn't a rebound thing. She reminded herself to be cautious.

The wedding was incredibly moving. It was easy to see the love between Bill and Fleur. Nat briefly wondered if she would ever be so lucky. A glance at Hermione's face gave her a moment of sisterly solidarity. It could only be described as longing. She knew Helen, or Hermione she supposed, wasn't seeing anyone. She must be lonely, so far from her family. Nat vowed to be a better friend to her.

It was easy to see that Hermione had been prepared when the bright colored animal (a lynx? She didn't get a clear look) brought the message of the imminent arrival of danger. Hermione had quickly found Harry and the youngest Wesley boy- what was his name again? He seemed a bit like a crap friend so she hadn't bothered to remember his name Don, Rob, Ron! That was it!

The scene blurred as they were whisked away several times-the scenes changing. Finally the trio headed to the old place that had been used for headquarters. The screaming portrait really rattled her teeth with the shrill cries. She would have gladly taken her knife to it if she could. Finding out that the Fletcher guy, whose name was appropriately Dung had stolen the horcrux infuriated her. She didn't want them to have to return to the Ministry after having narrowly escaped the last time.

Nat held her breath as she watched them polyjuice into the ministry workers and find the missing locket. The quick thinking of Hermione had yet again saved them as she had blinked them first one place, then another to shake off the man who had grabbed them. Ron's resulting injury looked horrible. She cringed when the potion made it smoke but was amazed at how quickly he had been healed. Handy little potion..

Watching the Weasel leave Harry and Hermione cemented Nat's dislike for the boy. Who abandoned their team when things got rough? What kind of person did that? Watching Harry and Hermione still continue on showed her just how resilient they were. They just kept soldiering on, determined to bring down the despot that was hell bent on ruling the wizarding world.

Godric's Hollow was an experience she wasn't sure she wanted to repeat. The emotionally wrought duo had a tough time. Watching the snake erupt from the old woman made her gag, and it was something she wouldn't ever forget. The broken wand was a worry, she wasn't sure something like that could be fixed. Even with magic. She felt helpless as she watched the two teens lose so much. Each loss hit them harder and harder. With food so scarce, the two lost weight they couldn't afford. Hermione she had noticed had been slipping her portions to the boys occasionally. Not that the redhead had noticed. Harry had caught on and made her promise to stop. She needed to eat too.

One of the only good things about the return of the Weasel (for that's what she was adamantly calling him now) had been a good thing for a moment. He had arrived in time to save Harry from the frozen water. Really she was going to have to watch him in the future, he was rather quick to rush into dangerous things. She wished Harry would have let Hermione have her wand back though. She would have liked to see what she did to the red head. The other good thing was that the sword Harry had retrieved from the frozen water was able to destroy the locket.

Harry had been raging at the world when he said Voldemort's name, something that had brought bad guys-snatchers, right to them. Racing through the woods, Hermione had hit Harry with something that caused his face to swell. Blurring scenes switched to show large gates with the trio held firmly in the snatchers grasps. Nat could feel the tension in the four magicals with them.

Hermione had turned her face away, buried it in Harry's shoulder as tears welled in his eyes. Bill and Fleur had curled around the pair. Whatever was behind those gates was BAD news.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the deviation from JK's plot. I make no money from my imagination.**

**Author Note: originally this chapter and the last were written all together. I split it up to avoid the beastly length. So lucky you, 2 chapter updates in one day! Also- this chapter has TRIGGER WARNINGS. Torture. War. Not so pleasant things. So you have been warned!**

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 18: Protection and Planning **

Whatever this was, it was big. Clint wasn't sure if he wanted to see this or not. Noticing the way they had surrounded Hermione clued him in. This was it. This was the incident that caused her to have triggers later. He shared a look at Nat, and knew she understood it too.

The three were dragged into a large room that in other circumstances may have been beautiful. There were four others in the room. The blond boy from the previous year and two adult who could only be his parents. Perhaps this was their home? The other occupant caused a shiver to go down his spine. She radiated manic glee at the sight of the trio. She demanded the blonde boy identify them. Clint could tell he knew who they were. In a redeeming moment the boy denied knowing. Why he didn't tell, he wasn't sure.

XXXX

This woman was crazy. Natasha knew crazy.

She had seen others in the Red Room go insane. Her heart beat faster when the woman ordered the boys to be locked in the dungeon. Nat was torn between watching Harry go or staying with Hermione. She and Clint instinctively took a step closer to the young witch, as if they could protect her. The crazy witch's attention was caught on the sword one of the snatchers had taken from the trio. The sight of it seemed to bother the witch. The curly-haired crazy grabbed Hermione by her hair, and pulled her into the center of the room.

The woman turned her wand on Hermione. She demanded answers to several questions.

Where did she get the sword? How did they get into her vault? Did they steal anything else? Each time Hermione refused to answer more than We didn't steal anything, or the sword was fake. The woman cast several curses on Hermione. Each progressively getting worse. She attempted to Imperius her, but Hermione fought it off too quickly for her to tell the crazy witch anything. Finally she screamed to bring a goblin to check the sword.

The Goblin denied it being real. Nat knew it wasn't. It didn't look like the crazed witch believed it either. The next spell Nat recognized as the one that tortures the victim. Hermione collapsed on the ground. Her whole body convulsed as her screams rang out in the room. When the witch let up the spell, Hermione lay a panting, shaking mess on the floor. Again the woman questioned about the sword. Hermione refused to speak at all. Again the torture curse was used. Hermione writhed on the floor, body first arching, then curling up before snapping back so far it seemed her spine would crack. She screamed, then began to gag as she vomited. The spell was released again. Again the witch questioned her, and again Hermione stayed silent. Natasha admired the girl so much more now. Even independent torture she wasn't breaking.

XXXX

After two rounds of the curse that made her scream, Clint could see the war in Hermione's eyes. She accepted that she would probably die, but she was not giving up anything. Again the spell hit Hermione. She no longer screamed as loudly. Her throat was giving out under the strain. The two boys could be heard calling Hermione's name. He couldn't imagine how they must have felt hearing those screams and not knowing what was going on.

This time the spell was held the longest. When it was lifted, Hermione lay shuddering on the floor unconscious. Blood had begun to trickle from Hermione's mouth, nose and ears. At some point, she had lost control of her bladder.

Clint hoped this was the end of it. The fight to not throw up was one he was quickly losing. He stared at the girl he was beginning to see as a sister, barely able to see her quivering form. He blinked the tears away. If this witch wasn't dead he would find her and make sure justice was served. Natasha was shaking at his side and he reached out to her. This had to be even worse for her.

The witch used some spell to revive Hermione. No longer happy with using her wand, the witch pulled a wicked looking dagger from her boot. Hermione flailed out, unable to control her body. The witch then pinned Hermione down. She called for someone to come help. Someone she called Bast knelt down. He held Hermione's arm out. First she sliced Hermione's sleeve out of her way. Then she started carving. The metallic smell of blood grew stronger. Almost as if being lured by the pied piper, the werewolf who had been with the snatchers earlier appeared. He begged the woman, Bellatrix, to let him play with the girl.

When she finished carving into Hermione's arm. She sat back to admire her handiwork. Blood poured from the letters M-U-D-B-L-O-O-D. Bellatrix stood and motioned to the werewolf, an invitation he quickly accepted. He greedily licked the blood from her arm, relishing the taste. At this point. Natasha lost the fight and was on her knees, vomiting. He shakily took a gulp of air, forcing the sick that crawled up his throat back down.

The wolf continued to lave at the blood flowing from the wound. He raised his head and blood stained his mouth and chin. Hermione lay unmoving, her eyes unfocused. She was giving up. Clint lost the fight then. The absolute look of bliss of the wolf's bloodsoaked face was his undoing. He folded himself in half as he spilled the contents of his stomach.

He watched in horror as the wolf's hands reached for the snap of Hermione's pants. A sobbed "Please God No," was heard from Natasha. Clint didn't think he could watch this happen. He looked around the room trying to ignore what the wolf was doing. All three of the blondes looked ill. The boy's eyes squeezed shut. His mother held one of his hands. The other was shaking as it held his wand.

A flurry of activity drew Clint's attention to the door. Somehow Ron and Harry had escaped. They rushed into the room, wands drawn. Harry rushed across the room dodging spells as he threw himself at the wolf. Shoving him off Hermione. Harry rolled to his feet, wand blazing. Bellatrix took the chance to snatch Hermione off the floor. Clint was relieved to see the wolf had not managed to get her pants down, just opened. Bellatrix held the wicked dagger to Hermione's throat, nicking it. When the fight had stopped. Harry and Ron were holding several wands. The older blonde man and the wolf were both unconscious. Though Clint was certain that the wolf was dead.

A jingling sound drew his attention to the large chandelier. The elf, Dobby was unscrewing the fixture. Bellatrix looked at the elf confused. The massive chandelier came crashing down. The other man directly under it. Bellatrix dove for cover, shoving Hermione away- directly towards the crashing chandelier. Her legs were pinned beneath it, her body covered in shards of glass and fresh cuts. Harry and Ron quickly pulled her out of the wreckage. Dobby grabbed onto them. As they disappeared, Bellatrix threw her dagger at them.

XXXX

They appeared on a beach. The boys were on their knees. Ron held Hermione. Harry was sobbing, pulling the unconscious Hermione from Ron's arms. Dobby picked up the knife Bellatrix had thrown. Clicking his fingers. It vanished from sight. Natasha realised they were at the home of Bill and Fleur. Who once confirming their identities quickly ushered them in the house. A flurry of Fleur's wand and Bill quickly pouring potions down her throat were frantic. Harry was inconsolable. Dobby had tried to apologize for not getting to them sooner. Harry had held him and was looking like he couldn't let him go. After a long while Bill came out of the room and informed them they had done all the could. Hermione was in a spelled sleep so her body could recover.

The days passed slowly as Harry and Fleur spent the majority of his time at Hermione's side. On the third day, Hermione woke up. Once assured that she was recovering as she should, Fleur left the room to send Ron in. The three talked in whispers. Hermione was adamant about moving on. Bellatrix had revealed that her vault held something else important. They were sure it was the cup they had been looking for.

They snuck out early the next morning. Natasha could not believe that Hermione had polyjuiced herself into the woman who had tortured her. She watched as the managed to retrieve the cup despite the curses. When the Goblins realized they weren't who they claimed to be, hell broke out. It was Hermione's quick thinking that saw them freeing the nearly blind dragon and escaping on his back.

A quick regroup had them planning the next place, and one of the most dangerous. They were headed for Hogwarts. Another disorienting blur and the trio were in a town they called Hogsmeade. The castle could be seen in the distance. The shrill siren blaring had them holding their ears. The trio were pulled into a building by a man who looked alot like the old headmaster.

XXXX

Clint and Nat followed as the trio followed one of their friends through a secret tunnel. It opened into the room they had once used for their defense meetings, but the room looked totally different. It was a bit like chaos as they followed along. The triio split ways. Harry left with a blonde named Luna. Hermione and Ron dashed to the Chamber of Secrets. The memory followed their route. Harry filled them in on what had happened with Luna. And figuring out where the diadem was.

In the Chamber of Secrets they watched as Hermione stabbed the cup. The large wave of water receded and Hermione and Ron shared a kiss. Ron looked victorious. But Hermione looked confused. The moment was over and the two took off to find Harry. The trio raced through the castle, headed to the place Harry thought the diadem was.

Clint wrinkled his nose when the blonde- Malfoy boy reappeared. Clint just wasn't sure what to make him. He didn't seem like he really wanted to be there. He watched as Hermione was drawn to an interesting circlet. It was as if she couldn't stop herself from picking it up. The moment her fingers made contact he saw a glow encase her. He wasn't sure what had just happened, but the next thing he saw was a large flaming dragon's head headed towards them. They scrambled to escape.

After they were assured the horcrux had been destroyed, they raced off to join the battle. It was total confusion trying to keep up with them. He didn't know who to watch. Harry or Hermione. He found himself reacting to the spells and ducking even though it wasn't possible for them to hit him. They followed the trio as they fought their way to the fallen potion masters side, a man who turned out to be a hero once Harry viewed the memories he left him.

A break in the fighting saw Harry putting the circlet that Hermione had managed to retain in their flight from the fiery dragon of death. It seemed symbolic in many ways. When Harry disappeared a short while later, Clint knew he had gone to sacrifice himself.

With his triumphant return from the dead, and the slaying of the last horcrux, a change seemed to overcome Hermione. She returned to the battle and suddenly a flash of light had her wings aloft, sword in hand as she fought with new purpose. It was awe inspiring. and a bit terrifying if Clint was honest. He watched as she dispatched one enemy after the other, like an avenging angel. She fought her way towards Harry, who was facing off with the snake faced bastard, a furious look on her face. Harry and Hermione struck a split second apart. Voldy never saw her coming, as she drove her sword into him. A blinding flash of light signaled the end of the evil man. Harry and Hermione were blasted apart and darkness fell as the memory ended.

They exited the pensieve and collapsed onto the couch processing what they had seen.

Hermione. Bill and Fleur filled them in up to the time they had met Hermione who was going by Helen in New York. It was insane the way it seemed the whole wizarding world had turned on Hermione for something that wasn't her fault. It had been the power of the circlet that had started it for her. She had been found worthy and transformed into the Valkyrie. It was truly incredible. Bill had told them about the obliviation that had been done and he promised he could most likely return those memories. It took a few minutes apiece, but he wasn't able to restore the lost memories. He apologized but the two weren't too upset. Really, they didn't feel like they were missing much, especially now that they knew who and what Hermione was.

XXXX

It was decided that the best way to protect everyone involved was a spell. Bill and Hermiine worked to modify an existing spell that originally stuck the person's tongue to the roof of their mouth. With the new modifications the spell enabled them to keep the secret. If they tried to talk to anyone other than those in the room. they would find their mouths stuck shut. They would be unable to spill any of the secrets. To be safe from any mind attacks, Bill placed blocks in their minds. If a witch or wizard attempted to read their minds, all they would get would be static. The blocks could only be removed by the caster, so there was no fear that a witch or wizard could break them.

As they were eating dinner, it was planned that they would find a way to help Hermione develop the skills the Valkyrie had told her she needed. Since meeting in the open wasn't a safe option, as they were sure MACUSA would keep an eye on Hermione for a while, they had to be a bit sneaky. Bill had left to see his brother George, and returned with the knowledge he needed to create portkeys. He made two portkey, one for each of them that would bring them here to Shell Cottage, and then return them to Natasha's apartment. This way if Hermione suddenly got the urge to visit Britain, MACUSA couldn't track her. And who would suspect two muggles of having password triggered portkeys?


	20. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own it if you recognize it. Unfortunately. **

**AUTHORS NOTE: To say that the response to the last two chapters has been discouraging is an understatement. I did not see it as filler or a horrid waste of time. It is disheartening to say the least. I had felt confident with the time I had put in to those two chapters and with what I had written. I wrote it the way I did because I felt their reactions would have really happened as they viewed the memories, not after the fact. Hoping this one is better. **

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 19: Marvelous Meetings **

Months passed by so quickly. Hermione. Clint and Natasha had settled into a good routine with training. She was pretty proficient with a bow now. It was as if the Valkyrie knew exactly what she needed to do. She could almost keep up with Clint's skill now. Training sessions alternated between archery, hand to hand combat and Nathasha's favorite, bladework.

Harry. Bill and Fleur often joined in her training sessions with dueling. These sessions were incredibly helpful for keeping the Valkyrie's power in check. Clint and Natasha had even started to join in, allowing themselves the opportunity to learn to dodge and increase their reaction times. She had even gotten over her fear of flying now that she had better control. She often had company on her flights, one of her siblings joining her on a broom. Harry loved to rib her about calling him reckless on a broom, when she was the same way with wings.

Almost a month into the training, Clint had shown up injured. Hermione had questioned what had happened, and he and Nat had sat them down and told them about working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Hermione couldn't blame them for keeping their secrets either. But once the air was cleared, they became much closer. MACUSA had finally backed off monitoring Hermione. No one had caught on to them all meeting at Shell Cottage. Unfortunately because of her training, she had lost the job at the bookstore, where her hours had been odd and infrequent. Natasha had helped her find another job as an assistant with Stark Industries.

Occasionally Hermione got the feeling that something was coming. In the past she had seen incidents reported on the muggle news. A seemingly brilliant scientist turned into a large green angry man who reminded her so much of Grawp, who then seemed to disappear into a third world country. A weapons manufacturer being kidnapped and returning. The same man announcing his donning of a metal suit and calling himself Iron Man. She had to give him props for color choices, it was very Gryffindor. That man was now her new boss. The Valkyrie pushing her to be prepared, she trained harder, longer.

XXXX

Now that the others were aware of where she had been living, and Clint and Nat knew just how special she was, they determined she needed to move somewhere more secure. The two had scoured the city for a safer place before an apartment became available at a building where several S.H.I.E.L.D agents lived. They had used their contacts to get it for Hermione. She had already met several of the others who lived in the building, including the neighbor across the hall. He was a nice man who had helped her carry her groceries up the stairs. He had introduced himself as Phil.

XXXX

Pepper Potts was grateful she had been able to convince Tony to hire a new Personal Assistant. Since their return from Malibu, she was busy with the day to day running of Stark Industries and she struggled to keep up with some of Tony's crazy needs. She had carefully vetted the applicants. The young woman she had chosen; Helen was bright, sweet, and came with a built-in guarantee. Pepper had recognized the address on her application as one where several S.H.I.E.L.D agents lived. It was hard to get approved for an apartment there. It was hard to get anything passed Nick Fury.

XXXX

Tony Stark was not a man who trusted easily. He trusted Pepper's judgment on his new assistant Helen. But that didn't stop him from running a background check. There were some inconsistencies, but she also lived in a building full of S.H.I.E.L.D operatives. That in itself spoke volumes.

Still he had made sure she signed an extensive non disclosure agreement and had made her run stupid errands for him (like go get him coffee and make her walk down the 15 flights of stairs because the coffee tasted stale when it was transported in an elevator). She had done it willingly, without complaint. Though the next day she had brought him a brand new top of the line coffee maker for his lab. Once he decided her hands were tied legally and she wasn't a complete idiot, he allowed her to enter his lab.

She was a sweet young woman. But he sensed she had a fiery personality. He just had to bring it out. After all, sweet was all well and good but you had to be fiesty to deal with him. It had taken him a week to break her sweet attitude. He was pretty sure it was the fake British accent he had used most of a day that did it.

He had been having a bad day and had gotten snappy with her. She narrowed her eyes at him with a little scowl on her face and told him if he couldn't be nice then he was a muppet who needed to shut his bleeding gob hole. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he'd had to have Jarvis translate half her insults. Her quick wit made her a delight to work with.

XXXX

Hermione loved her new job most days. Her boss, Tony Stark was brilliant. Too bad he knew it. He was definitely an arrogant sort. Sometimes his needs didn't make much sense to her, but she figured when he asked her to do something illogical it was his way of testing her. Hazing the new kid if you will.

Tony reminded her a lot of Sirius. He was a flirty, full of snark and a wicked sense of humor kind of guy who had a secret soft side. He loved to give her hell about her accent. Apparently because she was British she was now nicknamed Mary Poppins.

She had a good chuckle at that. If he only knew just how close to being true that was. The first time she had snarked back at him, he had stopped what he was doing and looked at her closely. With a nod he said, "Well okay then Helen" with an extra layer of sarcasm. Then he returned to what he was doing.

After awhile the two were comfortable trading insults with each other. He thought it particularly hilarious when she told him to "bugger off, you numpty." Which Jarvis had to translate. He in turn had proceeded to imitate her accent for the rest of the day, driving her round the bend.

On days when they got along well, and he didn't drive her daft, Hermione went out of her way to do something nice for him. One good day he had been particularly frustrated about how to get a part he had been attempting to build to come together. He had stormed off in need of a break after the 5th attempt. While he was gone, she pulled her wand and used a quick repairo to fix it. When he had returned he sat down to work and within moments had it together, not suspecting it was anything other than a fresh perspective that had solved it.

On days he irritated her…..she would do things to drive him insane in return. Once she had charmed his Iron Man suit green and silver, chuckling at the Hogwarts house colors.

More than once she had hit him with a stinging jinx. He just assumed it was a static shock. All on all it was a great job. With all the intensive, regular workouts, her magic was under better control, she could now technically go without the dampening bracelets, but she usually wore at least one just in case the magic tried to mess with his tech.

XXXX

She was dreaming of one of them again. This time it was the larger, muscular blonde man she had seen in her Valkyrie's memories. Instead of his usual garb, he was dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. Seeing Thor- for she was certain that's who he was, in normal muggle earthly clothes was different. She didn't understand why she was dreaming about him dressed like that.

Upon waking she wrote the dream off as silly. That was until she began to feel the Valkyrie pushing her towards the small town of Puente Antiguo in New Mexico. She had made several trips there to see what was drawing her there. Whatever it was, she had yet to discover. The draw was getting stronger with each passing day. Then one day, He appeared. Thor was walking down a street in New Mexico. She began watching him disillusioned. How best to approach him, without him thinking she was insane was a problem.

XXXX

MACUSA had kept an eye out on the so called "electromagnetic disturbances." Once it was determined that they were from beings called Asgardians, they quickly determined it was not their problem and pulled their aurors out. Let the muggles deal with that crazy type of chaos.

XXXX

Thor had been banished to Midgard. It was hard being stranded in a strange place, cut off from his power. Worst of all was that he could see Mjölnir and was unable to pick it up. He had to admit some things were good about Midgard though, like the lovely Jane Foster and the delicious delicacy known as pop-tarts. He kept feeling oddly though. As if someone was watching him. Sure, he drew attention as he tried to become used to Midgard customs, but this was different. But no matter how many times he looked, he could see no one.

On one of the trips he had taken with Jane and friends to the small town nearby sent his senses into overtime. They were here. Who ever had been watching him. Only this time it didn't feel like they were watching him. He just felt they were near. They passed a small diner, and through the window he saw Her. Their eyes connected, and something inside him drew him to her. As if he recognized her. No she wasn't familiar in that she looked like someone he knew. It was a more he could sense her power, and it felt like home, like Asgard.

The young woman's eyes widened and she quickly left the diner. Heedless to the looks and shouts from Jane and her companions, he shook off his stupor and gave chase. The young woman was ahead of him, her long chestnut curls flying as she turned a corner. He turned the direction she had, and found her stopped in a dead end. Her back was to him.

Palms sweaty, heart racing he called out to her. "Who are you? Why do you feel of Asgard?"

The young woman turned, knelt down, head bowed, curls obscured her face. Her right arm crossed her chest, fist closed as it laid on her left shoulder in salute. When she raised her head, her eyes seemed to glow. A transformation came over her with a flash of light. Suddenly he was looking at the same young woman, wearing a form Asgardian Armor he hadn't seen in millennia. Large white wings spread behind her. On her brow was a circlet. The symbol of the Valkyrie.

XXXX

When Thor had seen her, the first instinct was to flee. She hadn't come up with a solid plan yet. He had caught her completely unaware that afternoon. She could feel him chasing her, knew she most likely couldn't outrun him. Then she hit a dead end. Before she could pull her wand, he was in the alley with her. This was the closest she had been to him since her first sighting of him. The Valkyrie took over. She found herself kneeling at his feet, saluting him as the Valkyrie fully emerged.

"Valkyrie," he whispered in shock.

A small nod of her head stunned him further.

"How is this possible? My father banished the Valkyrie a millennia ago. Without the power of Asgard, your powers should not exist."

Well that was news to her. It must be her magic that fueled and increased the power of the Valkyrie. She drew a breath and replied, "Prince Thor. I am Hermione. I believe it possible because I have magic."

He cocked his head. Loki had magic that was different than most Asgardians. Perhaps this was a similar thing. "Magic," he questioned.

"Yes. You see. I am a witch," she said drawing her wand.

"That's a rather short staff," he stated.

She chuckled, "Not a staff, a wand. Though I imagine they are similar in that they are both used to focus magic."

"My brother has magic. Are you like him then?"

"No, Prince Thor. From what I have read, our magic is different. I can not create illusions like he can, nor can I multiply my form."

"Lady Hermione, when I am found worthy of Mjölnir again, I will return to Asgard. I will speak to my mother. She will be able to explain things. I would bring you back with me to meet her, but I am uncertain if All Father would allow it."

"I understand Prince Thor, I-"

"Please Lady Hermione, it is the least I can do. Perhaps one day you will be welcomed into Asgard, like the Valkyrie before you."

A disturbance in the very air around them alerted them that something was coming. Hermione stood, wand at the ready. She knew Thor was without his powers right now. She felt it was her duty to protect him, as well as any muggles nearby.

"Perhaps it would be best if you were to hide your true form until we know who or what we are dealing with." Thor suggested.

A quick nod, an exhale and the Valkyrie hides itself leaving Hermione standing before him. They moved cautiously out of the alley, Thor in the lead as he cautioned her back. There in the middle of the street in front of Isobel's Diner were Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. A huge grin lit up Thor's face.

"Friends!" He cried joyously as he moved to greet them.

"Thor! There you are," the large bearded one said.

After greetings were exchanged between the warriors, Thor beckoned Hermione over.

"Lady Hermione, these are my friends. Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. Also known as Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg. This is Lady Hermione."

Hermione gave a small smile and bowed her head in greeting. Thor gestured to the diner behind him, "Come, let us sup as you inform me of the goings on in Asgard."

They entered the small diner and took seats. The Warriors Three were turning the menu's every which way in an attempt to understand them. Lady Sif raised an eyebrow in amusement. It was Hermione who took over and ordered drinks for them all.

They were eyeing her in curiosity. No doubt wondering what a Prince of Asgard was doing introducing a mere midgardian to them. Lady Sif's eyes looked between Hermione and Thor, trying to determine their relationship. Her cheeks flushed. She knew it wasn't what Lady Sif was thinking. She had seen Thor's infatuation with Jane after all.

Thor let out a chuckle as he finally caught on to the looks they were giving him and Hermione. "No my friends! My heart belongs to Lady Jane. Lady Hermione is actually -"

A boom sounded out as the ground shook, nearly knocking them off their seats. A large metallic giant towered over the street, blasting lasers at random targets. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three dashed out in an attempt to get the situation under control. Thor stood watching, cursing his current lack of power.

"What- what is that?" Hermione asked shakily.

"That is my brother Loki. I am not sure what has caused him to bring the Destroyer here to Midgard, but I can not sit idle as he harms innocents. The people of Midgard are under my protection."

"But you don't have Mjölnir. You are powerless against that!" She cried.

"I have to try. He is here for me. I can not let others fight my fights. You must stay here. Do not intervene, no matter what," he commanded her.

"But I-"

"No. This is not your fight."

He ran to the exit, stepping out the door as a nearby vehicle exploded. He ducked and covered his face before he ran to face his brother.

XXXX

Stay here, as if she could Hermione scoffed. She may have been commanded not to intervene, but that didn't mean she couldn't help indirectly. If she disillusioned herself, no one would know. Men in suits were firing guns at the Destroyer as if the tiny weapons could bring it down.

Her wand slipped to her hand a quick twist, the cool shivery feeling of the disillusionment took effect. Hermione entered the fight. She cast as many protegos as she could until the civilians got off the street. Then she set a quick muggle repelling ward to keep those who were not already involved away from the chaos.

She had just finished the wards when a large sign came toppling down, headed right towards Thor. The Valkyrie, being honor bound to protect the ruling Asgardian family would not allow her to remain away. A flash, and then her wings propelled her to Thor, knocking him out of the way just in time. Thor looked in her direction briefly confused. The disillusionment had managed to hold during the Valkyrie's emergence. Thor regained his feet and began yelling at Loki in an attempt to draw his ire.

Hermione heard a pained groan behind her. Two of the men in suits were on the ground, one injured. A blast shook the street as a large semi truck came hurtling towards them. Without even thinking of keeping her cover, Hermione shouted, "Reducto!" Followed by "Protego Totalum!"

XXXX

Phil Coulson had seen many things in his years as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. The arrival of Thor being one of the biggest shocks. Especially coming on the heels of the Iron Man fighting off Ivan Vanko, also known as Whiplash just a short time ago. Phil had missed that fight, as he had been keeping an eye on the electromagnetic disturbances in New Mexico.

He had been keeping an eye on Thor since his arrival. When the four other Asgardians appeared this morning, Phil and the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents were ready to step in. Whatever the large robotic giant was, it obviously wasn't controlled by the Asgardians.

He and his fellow agents had willingly entered the fray in an attempt to gain some order. It was obvious they were no match. He was quite happy when the Asgardian warriors stepped in. A ricocheting bullet had caught one of the other agents and he had crumpled to the ground. Phil rushed to his side, hands pressing the wound to stanch the blood.

He looked up when a nearby blast happened. His eyes widened at the semi flying straight towards him. He was sure he was getting ready to meet his maker. He heard a shout and the semi seemed to blast apart before his very eyes. Another shout was heard in front of him and the debris from the semi seemed to hit an invisible wall. A flicker in front of him caught his attention, and out of nowhere a winged woman appeared. She was holding a stick, pointing at the raining debris. Her head turned and her glowing eyes met his briefly before she flickered again and disappeared.

Phil wasn't sure what to think. Did that really happen? And if so, who was the woman who had just saved his life? Why the hell did he immediately think of his neighbor Helen? Furthermore, what was this woman? His attention was drawn to Thor who had somehow been able to retrieve his hammer and was taking down the robot. Phil decided the woman was just an adrenaline fueled illusion, one he was not going to mention to anyone. They might think he wasn't capable of handling field work. The thought of a desk job made him shudder.

XXXX

Thor had been able to defeat Loki. He and the others had returned to Asgard. He did not forget his promise to Lady Hermione, who seemed to have disappeared during the fight. He was determined to speak to his mother. She had always been against the All Father's banishment of the Valkyrie. Once he had some answers, and the bifrost was repaired, he would return to Midgard and find Lady Hermione. He wasn't sure where she was. But he would look the whole of Asgard over if Heimdall couldn't locate her. Besides it would give him an excuse to see Lady Jane again.

XXXX

Nick Fury was having to deal with the shit storm that the Asgardian Princes had left in their wake. For now they were gone, and for his sake he hoped they stayed gone. He had agents monitoring Iron Man still. And his agent who had been watching Banner hadn't reported at his scheduled time. He would have to send another agent to access the situation. He was already making contingency plans to contain him should his angry green alter ego make an appearance.

He had been keeping an eye on a couple of his agents who had been acting a bit oddly lately. Romanov and Barton had been spending as much time away from base as possible. He wondered what they did with their spare time. If he hadn't known about Barton's wife, he would have wondered if they were having an affair. But any man who went through the amount of effort Barton had to keep his family safe would never have an affair. Coulson had been acting a bit off since New Mexico. But Fury chalked it up to his imagination, or perhaps it was because Coulson was headed to the arctic where an important missing relic from the 40's had just been located. Whatever the issue, they were all good agents, and he had absolute faith in them.


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or anything Marvel. Obviously! **

**AUTHOR NOTE: Couple of things. PoV might jump around a bit. I like to get everyone's reactions and thoughts as the story progresses. I will try to make it clear as I can who it is and what is happening. Also, a quick shout out to R1ver_s0ng (seriously check out her story 1:15 am-it's fabulous!) has been a massive help with this story! Thanks for being my unofficial Alpha/Beta. And for always nagging me to write! **

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 20: The Week In Which Nick Fury Almost Loses His Damn Mind**

It was official. He was living in hell. The whole fucking world was out to get him. How else do you explain everything that happened so far this week? And the week isn't over yet! Nick Fury was doing his best to try to keep on top of everything. He had thought he was successful. Then General Ross and the Hulk had to go and junk punch him.

Talk about throwing a massive, angry, green monkey wrench into the plans. He was still trying to gather all the information. But somehow in his infinite fucking wisdom, Ross had injected Emil Blonsky with Super Solider Serum; not once, but twice. For some reason the Hulk wasn't enough of an issue. He had to go and cock it up by making another one. Supposedly this other one was supposed to capture Hulk. Well that failed spectacularly.

The other one, aptly named Abomination, had managed to coerce Stern to transfuse him with some of Banner's gamma-radiated blood on top of the two doses of Super Serum he had already received. The result was a monstrous creature, with a body larger than Hulk's with spines protruding from his back. He had then escaped the lab and began a rampage through Harlem as a demonstration of his new, god-like strength, challenging any authorities who attempted to stop him.

Banner had jumped from a helicopter, and emerged from a crater as Hulk. Then what can only be described as a fight between Godzilla versus MegaGodzilla happened in the middle of fucking Harlem. Fury could only be the slightest bit happy that Hulk had come out the victor. Though he had somehow managed to evade capture, again. How was the question. He was later located in Calcutta. Fury knew he would have to find some way to contain Hulk if something else happened. He put his best researchers on the project.

XXXX

Pepper had charged into the lab yelling for Tony. She scrambled over the spare pieces of the upgrades he was working on for his suit. She had Jarvis pull up the live news feed of the fight in Harlem. Hermione had watched with wide eyes. The green one reminded her a bit of Grawp. He seemed to have retained his human mind to an extent. Tony had explained how he had become so large and green. He was busy on a seperate screen hacking to find out about the other one. He was a nasty sort.

She could see Tony wanted to attempt to join in. He was already calculating how long it would take to get to Harlem. With one suit in pieces, he would have to use a backup. Pepper was busy trying to talk sense into him. Hermione knew Tony was still somewhat recovering from the mess with Vanko. Oh he tried to hide it well. But she could tell. Pepper didn't seem to be convincing him that it wasn't his fight and he would be outmatched. But like the Gryffindor his suit suggested, he was ready to charge in heedless of her pleas.

She had to do something. She couldn't let Tony put himself in the middle of this fight. She let her wand slip into her hand unnoticed. A couple quick flicks, and the backup suits were disabled. If Tony tried to use them, one wouldn't work, thanks to disconnected wiring. The other would literally fall apart as she had vanished all the screws helping hold it together. Tony would be furious, but she felt much better having prevented his potential death. She rather liked Pepper, and Tony had grown on her. Yes, she would do what she could to keep him. Besides he had grand plans for Stark Tower. And she wanted to see them come to fruition.

XXXX

Frigga was not a happy woman. Her son, Thor had returned from Midgard with an interesting tale of a living Valkyrie. She had never agreed with her husband's decision to banish the female warriors. She saw this miraculous discovery as a chance to make amends. Bring the Valkyrie here to Asgard and discover the true scope of her abilities. Thor had explained that the Valkyrie, Lady Hermione, was also a Midgard witch. Frigga was truly fascinated.

She had tried to broach the subject with her husband. But the obstinate oaf refused to hear it. He insisted that what Thor had seen was actually an illusion, a trick to gain his trust and gain entrance to Asgard. He claimed the woman was using trickery similar to Loki. No. He just refused to see reason. Frigga was not giving up though. When words had failed, she began to freeze him out. She had even gone so far as to move her things to a separate chamber.

Frigga watched as her son continued to watch the bifrost being rebuilt. She knew that not only was he keeping an eye on the Lady Jane who had captured his heart, but also searching for Lady Hermione. Odin had forbidden Thor from having any further contact with the young Valkyrie. But Frigga knew her son. He had pledged to help her, and she would see that he found a way. Even if that meant she made a trip to Migard in the future. Something she hadn't done in many a milenia.

XXXX

Phil Coulson wasn't sure what was going on with any certainty. He was an intelligent man, calm under pressure, and observant. Since returning from New Mexico he kept a closer eye on his neighbor Helen. His mind kept supplying the woman dressed in strange viking like armor with large wings. He watched the way her arm moved, comparing it to the movement the hallucination had when it held the stick and stopped him from being injured.

He had quickly dismissed the notion that the two women were one and the same. His mind had just supplied Helen's face in the adrenaline fueled moment. After all, Helen bore no resemblance to his winged hero, other than similar facial features. No, Helen was completely human. He was sure of it. He decided to dismiss the crazy thoughts all together as he prepared to head to the Arctic. He had a mission to focus on. One which could potentially lead him to answers about his personal hero, Captain Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. He had obsessively collected all of the Captain's trading cards. He almost had a full collection, all of which were in mint condition. He whistled a tune as he made his way to S.H.I.E.L.D to head off on his mission. First stop, Alaska. He had to check that Blonsky/Abomination was safely in cryogenic storage. A good agent's work was just never done.

XXXX

Hermione was busy planning a three day weekend trip to Washington, D.C. She planned to spend the break exploring the Smithsonian. She had always loved visiting museums with her parents. This had been a favorite of theirs. She was curious to see how much it had changed since her last visit as a small child.

Tony had tried to convince her to stay, but Pepper had smacked the back of his head and told him to leave her alone. She had even pointed out the museum had several fascinating exhibits. If Hermione thought that Tony would be able to remain alive and unsupervised for the weekend, she would have invited Pepper along. Tony, Merlin help her, reminded her much of Sirius, with Harry's saving people thing. As annoying as it was, it was also endearing. It made her feel more at home.

She finished checking her bag to head off to the train station. Oh she could have taken a bus or even hailed a cab. But the idea of a train ride relaxed her. It made her a bit nostalgic. Her cell phone rang just as she zipped her bag shut. A glance at the caller ID showed her it was Tony.

"I'm on vacation Tony. You can fetch your own coffee."

"Aww come on Audrey Hepburn- don't be like that. You can pretend you are starring in a movie. Like Breakfast at Tiffany's! It'll be great!"

"No Tony! Get your own coffee!"

"Come on Julie Andrews- you can even sing for me. Come on...what's the one about the doe?"

Hermione sighed, "No Tony. And for the last time it's Helen. H-E-L-E-N. Helen. Now was there a reason to this call other than to drive me daft?"

"Fine HELEN. Gosh you take all my fun away," she could practically see him rolling his eyes.

"Someone has to be the adult," she muttered.

"What's that? Nevermind. Listen. Seriously though I know you like your books, and nerd that you are, you will probably end up exploring the Smithsonian libraries. So I made a call and got you a present. Call it a thank you for working hard."

"What did you do? What present?"

"Well the libraries are generally open to the public-boring! The really good stuff they keep in the archives, with limited access. And Uncle Tony here managed to score you an all access pass to them. You can read until your little nerd heart's content."

"First of all, we all know you aren't near old enough to be my Uncle. Stop being silly. Secondly, are you being serious? You really got me access?"

"Fine, Big Brother then. And of course I did. That's the beauty of money and fame. It can get you things. Might as well make it for something good eh?"

"That's- Tony there are just no words to describe how happy I am. Thank you so much! I swear I will make you the best coffee when I get back, and I won't even complain!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just have a good time kid. See you when you get back Monday."

"Absolutely! Thank you so much Tony! Tell Pepper to hug you for me!"

Her euphoria lasted through the boarding of the train, and part of the journey. She had been staring out the window watching the scenery when she dozed off. She dreamed of Loki and Thor again.

After they had returned to Asgard, they had a massive fight, destroying the bifrost bridge. Loki had vanished in a blinding light. Where he was, it didn't even seem like he knew. He was brought before the person in charge, who asked him many questions about Asgard's history.

Hermione did not like this man, Thantos. He reminded her of Voldemort. Another charismatic, power hungry ruler, intent on taking over the whole world. She abruptly woke up when the train pulled into the station. She decided to not totally write it off. After all, she had dreamed of Thor and it turned out to be true. There wasn't anything she could do for now anyways. If she saw Thor again, she would be sure to mention the dream to him. Maybe he had more insight.

XXXX

She vowed to herself that she would never, under any circumstances allow Tony to know that she had barely gone to the hotel long enough to drop her bags off before heading to the libraries. She absolutely would not tell him how she had a mini geek out when she was allowed access to the archives as if it were a normal occurrence. She would however be sure to find some way to repay him.

Libraries were always lovely. But the archives were absolutely breathtaking. The amount of knowledge they contained was awe inspiring. She spent the first couple hours exploring at random, picking up tomes that sparked her interest. It was at lunch that she had a thought. She wondered if she could find any information on Valkyries. Though she was sure a lot would be myth and legend, there might also be some that was factual to her situation.

She eagerly began her search. Pulling from different sources she compiled the most relevant information. She was curious to see how this would compare to any help that Thor's mother, Lady Frigga could give her. She made several notes as she read.

_According to Norse mythology, Valkyries were female warriors. The meaning of their name, "choosers of the slain," refers not only to their choosing who gains admittance to Valhalla, but also to their choosing who dies in battle. They use a combination of weaponry and magic to ensure that their preferences in this regard are brought to fruition. _

_A Valkyrie coming to the aid of her fellow Asgardians did what she did best: rage hard in battle. During the battle, they might swoop down to protect a warrior who shouldn't die. Or they might come down to collect the body of a fallen warrior and carry it off to Valhalla, Odin's hall, to prepare for the apocalyptic battle of Ragnarök. They can use magical powers to influence battle. Brunhilde, the most famous Valkyrie had two magic weapons: the indestructible sword Dragonfang which allowed her clothes to adapt to whatever the situation. The second was an enchanted spear called Geirr, which was magical without doing anything in particular._

_The most able of all warriors, not limited to Valkyries formed a select guard group. The Valkyrior; elite guard, had a psychic link with their fellow Valkyrior, and with those of the Asgardian ruling family. This manifested in different ways. Valkyrie from the Valkyrior guard were able to establish a psychic communication with her chosen warriors, and they had dreams foretelling of the ruling family's imminent danger. The Valkyries may have had superhuman foresight as well; they often appear above battlefields days before the fighting begins, and they sometimes deliver prophecies to other mortals._

_Valkyries are very similar to those that escort the dead to Hades or other forms of afterlife in various mythologies throughout human history, particularly in Greek legends. It is interesting to note that common themes and figures occur throughout human history and across various cultures or societies._

_Amongst the Anglo-Saxons, the valkyries were female spirits of carnage. The Celts, had similar beings of their own, such as the war goddesses Badb and the Morrí Morrígan is mainly associated with war and fate, especially with foretelling doom, death or victory in battle. In this role she often appears as a crow, the incites warriors to battle and can help bring about victory over their enemies. The Morrígan encourages warriors to do brave deeds, strikes fear into their enemies, and is portrayed washing the bloodstained clothes of those fated to die. She chiefly represents the goddess's role as guardian of the territory and its people._

_Sometimes they are compared to Norns, spirits who decide destinies of men; who could protect men in battle with their spells; to the powerful female guardian spirits attached to certain families, bringing luck to those under their protection; even to certain women who armed themselves and fought like men. Some Valkyries had the power to cause the death of the warriors they did not favour; others, especially heroine Valkyries, guarded the lives of those dear to them. _

Hermione had even found references to purely supernatural Valkyries and human Valkyries with certain supernatural powers. Both types of beings were associated with fairness, brightness, and gold, as well as bloodshed. Some of them received 'special gifts' . They were extraordinary compared to the average mortal — super-strength, agility, and speed, able to withstand higher levels of pain and damage, and invulnerability to diseases. Well she could honestly say that she had noticed some of this during her training sessions.

_Valkyrie had the ability to pass a portion of their life essence on to others. They had abilities relating to their duties as choosers of the fate of slain warriors. They can sense when a warrior is about to die, arrange that this warrior will die, defer the death so the warrior can survive to grow in skill, and they have the power to take the chosen warrior's soul with them. They are able to move around unseen and some can take forms of birds or fly with wings. _

_During times of peace, these women wore elegant costumes made from swan or raven feathers, but when war draws near, they don their armor: gracefully carved helmets, or circlets and shields and chain mail corsets. They might continue wearing a feather cape, or, according to some stories, they might sprout wings of their own to help them soar above the battlefields. During Norse times, these ladies were a bit more complicated. They were highly intelligent, and they loved valor. These traits made them great at choosing heroes to fight alongside Odin in Ragnarök._

XXXX

Hermione spent all of Saturday wandering around a couple of the different museums. American Art Museum, and the Natural Museum of American History. Sunday she started her day early with the Museum of Natural History. She stayed until a little after lunch, before heading to the last museum on her list, the National Air and Space Museum. It was here that she found herself being drawn to a particular exhibit, dedicated to Captain America.

Here she took her time looking at the different aspects of his life; before the Project Rebirth program, his friendship with Bucky Barnes, his great deeds in World War II, his uniform, the Howling Commandos, his motorcycle and even a video of Peggy Carter, who was rumoured to have been his love interest.

She found her eyes constantly seeking out the displays containing both Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Both were brave, handsome soldiers. Captain Steven Grant Rogers had been a sickly child. He had suffered from asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, high blood pressure, and heart trouble, among other illnesses. He was frequently attacked by bullies on the streets. However, his resilience, despite his small stature, inspired Bucky Barnes to come to his aid and fight off the bullies when he was needed. She smiled as she imagined what their friendship must have been like.

Steve Rogers before the Serum made her think of meeting Harry for the first time. His small frame looked swamped in the clothes he wore. But there was that determination and drive to make a difference. It called to the Gryffindor part of her heart. Her eyes traced his features. His 6 feet 2 inch would have meant she would have had to look up to him. He had almost a foot on her petite height. He was well proportioned, with muscles that filled out his uniform perfectly without being obscene. His sandy hair seemed to lay with a part on the side. His eyes at first glance seemed blue, but if one looked close enough they could see flecks of green. They hinted at hidden mischief. He had a nice polite smile for all the photos. Hermione wished she could see his true smile, the one that would light up his handsome face, and cause his gorgeous eyes to sparkle.

Next to him was his best friend Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. He was close in height to Rogers. He was also a rather fit man. She had to admit both he and Rogers looked rather delectable in uniform. He had sparkling blue eyes, but his were a lighter shade that reminded her of wintery frost. He was handsome, and his smirky smile showed he knew it. He reminded a bit of Draco Malfoy with that smirk. It showed his confidence, something Hermione had always found appealing in a man. He had darker brown hair that had that look that screamed play with me. Her fingers twitched, longing to tangle in his locks.

Barnes regiment, the 107 Infantry had been captured by HYDRA, where Barnes had been experimented on by a man named Arnim Zola. Barnes, along with whoever still remained from his regiment, were later rescued by Rogers. Together the two had formed the Howling Commandos to continue the fight. During an ambush, Barnes had fallen from a train in the Alps. Rogers crashed into the Arctic during his final mission to avert a plane carrying bombs inbound for the United States.

They were never able to find either body.

Hermione sighed. They didn't make men like them anymore. Loyal. Brave. Willing to give their lives for their country. She had met many men over her lifetime, both wizards and muggles, but none compared to these two. If she had been born in a different era ..perhaps she could have met them. A last longing look over her shoulder, she retreated to her hotel to get a nap before her train departed this evening.

**AUTHOR NOTE: I in no way shape or form call either Steve or Bucky a Villian. EVER. Yes I admit that I compared Bucky's SMIRK to D.M. Cocky, devil may care, knows he is good looking. That being said. Harry is a great guy, not saying he did not sacrifice eveything for his country too. However she does not find him attractive because he is her BROTHER. **


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or anything Marvel. Obviously! **

**AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry it has been a minute since I got to write! With this Quarantine, and my kiddo home from school, it has been all hands on deck. But my Alpha/Beta has kicked my butt and possibly threatened to kick my plot bunnies in the teeth until they drive me insane. So here I am!**

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 21: Connections **

Hermione returned from her trip, overloaded with her thoughts. She kept thinking about what she had read concerning Valkyries. The idea that she could potentially communicate with Thor was exciting. If only she knew what to do. She had tried mediating and focusing solely on Thor. But her thoughts kept getting distracted with one Steven Grant Rogers. Thinking of him, made her think of James Buchanan Barnes. Between the two, it was safe to say meditation was a fail. She tried to shake off thoughts of the two men. It wasn't like she would ever meet them anyways.

XXXX

Tony was sure that the bookworm would come back from her vacation weekend refreshed and ready to get going. He had not expected her to be so distracted. She tried to hide it, but when she brought him his morning coffee and it turned out to be her damn tea instead, he paid closer attention. By mid afternoon he knew he had to interfere.

"Hey Helen, come join me a second."

"Hhm? Oh of course Tony. I'll get right on that," she answered.

Tony arched an eyebrow before he rolled his eyes. He approached her, took her by the shoulders and walked her to his desk. Once there he made her sit in the chair while he leaned on the desk.

Crossing his arms, he gave his command, "Ok. Spill. I know something is obviously on that mind of yours."

"What? What are you talking about? I'm fine Tony," she said.

"Uh no, you are most definitely not fine. You are distracted, and this lab is most definitely not a safe place to be when distracted."

"I'm fine Tony. I can do my job!"

He stared at her imperiously. "Sweetheart, you just brought me the dry cleaning."

Her nose crinkled in that adorable way, "What? That's what you asked me to do, isn't it?"

"Yes. But you didn't bring me MY dry cleaning. Instead you brought me yours, and told me to drop it off when it was done."

Her eyes shot wide, "I did what?"

He reached behind him, pulled the garments off the desk and laid them over her lap.

"Not sure why you need a bunch of graduation robes dry cleaned, but that's what you brought me."

He carefully watched her face as she looked at the robes and promptly went into panic mode. Placing his hands on her shoulders he did his best to calm her down.

"Hey. It's ok. Just tell me what's going on. I will do what I can to help you," he offered.

He wasn't really great with emotions, but he genuinely cared for the woman. In many ways he could say she was like his little sister. He just hoped she didn't cry. Or want to talk about mother nature. A shiver went down his spine at the thought. There was absolutely no way he was going to talk about that. EVER.

Her hands knotted the robes up as she looked at him as if evaluating him. Apparently she approved of whatever it was because after a deep breath she began talking.

"Honestly, I am fine. Just tired. I just have alot on my mind. I am sorry if I have been distracted. I tend to get that way when I am thinking about something. You do it too you know? Just last week you called me Pepper and told me you would see me at dinner before kissing me," she said amused.

His mind tried to recall the incident, but for the life of him couldn't. "Ok perhaps we shouldn't tell Pepper that one," he said a bit uncomfortably. He hadn't meant to kiss her. And as comfortable as he was with Pepper. It had been a long fight to get her to agree to give him a chance and he didn't want to mess it up.

Helen laughed, "Too late. I passed the message on to Pepper for you. We had a good laugh."

For a moment his brain short circuited at the thought of her kissing Pepper. While he may not be attracted to Helen, he could appreciate her beauty. And the picture in his mind of the beautiful redhead locking lips with her made his eyes glaze over. He was a guy. It wasn't like he could help it. He didn't get to imagine it long before he was attacked. Helen had rolled up the newspaper and was hitting him with it.

"Hey! Not like that you perv! Stop thinking about it!" She yelled as she pelted him with the paper.

"Oh come on! I'm a guy! The idea of two very beautiful women together is very appealing," he said fighting off the newspaper. When the attack stopped suddenly he looked at her confused. She was staring at the ground looking upset.

"Don't say things like that. You don't have to lie to me."

He knelt down to her level totally confused. "What are you talking about? What did I lie about?"

"Oh come on Tony. I'm not an idiot. I know how I look, you don't have to pretend otherwise."

"Whoa! Whoa! Are you telling me you don't think you're beautiful?" He asked incredulously.

"Use your eyes! Bushy hair, ink stains, nothing more than brains and books. I am not exactly model material. I have heard it enough."

Tony was outraged. Who could possibly have put those ideas in her brain? He could tell she genuinely believed she was unattractive. No! He couldn't allow the lie to continue. He stood. Grabbed her hand and tugged her to the elevator.

"What?! Tony where are we going?"

"To fix this."

When the elevator reached the floor he wanted he pulled her out, and down the hall. Passing Pepper, he snagged her wrist too. He pulled them both into his room and over to the full length mirror he had in the corner. Stopping he put Helen in front of it and stood behind her. Pepper stood nearby a bit confused.

"Look at yourself. Look good and hard," he said.

Helen's eyes looked in the mirror and scanned herself, looking less than impressed.

XXXX

"Stop it! I don't know what idiot made you think you aren't attractive, but they need to be dropped off the tower. You are a beautiful woman. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool. Pepper, when you look at Helen, what do you see?" Tony asked.

Pepper took one of Helen's hands in hers as she looked at her. Smiling softly she said, "I see a beautiful woman. With eyes that sparkle, long eyelashes that every woman envies. A face that is naturally beautiful without the need for makeup. Long, curly hair that suits you. You are beautiful Helen."

"See?" Tony said looking at Helen.

Helen was chewing her bottom lip as she looked at her reflection. Her arms crossed her stomach defensively. Pepper watched as Tony fought with himself for a moment. He looked her way for a brief moment.

"Pepper, forgive me," he said as he turned back to Helen. Standing behind her he put his hands on her arms, pulling them to her sides. His eyes made contact with hers in the mirror. "I see all that too. Your eyes do sparkle. They show the considerable knowledge hidden in their depths. and hint at your sassy side. Your lips are full and pouty, and call to a man, especially when you nibble them. And your body is quite lovely. Nice hand sized breasts, flat stomach, curved hips, toned legs, and a nice ass." He said frankly.

Helen looked at Pepper fearfully. But she just smiled. Her heart fluttered when she saw what Tony was trying to do. She knew Tony wasn't hitting on Helen. Just stating things about her that a man appreciated. A plan started to formulate in her mind.

"Honestly if I didn't have Pepper. I would be interested. Now, I am a man and I know how we think. So stop these ridiculous doubts. You are beautiful. End of story. Got it?" Tony finished.

"I have an idea," Pepper said mischievously. "Tony, Helen and I are taking the day off! You'll have to fetch your own coffee!"

With that she wrapped her arms around him, and put her lips near his ear. "You sweet, sweet man. You did a wonderful thing." She said before kissing his lips. Then she grabbed Helen's hand and started to walk down the hall calling orders to Jarvis.

"Where are we going?" Helen asked wide eyed.

"When I feel down about myself I pamper myself. So today we are taking the day off. We'll start with a spa treatment, followed by a hair appointment and finally shopping. By the time we are done, you will feel much more confident," Pepper said.

XXXX

Hermione had never really had many girlfriends. She had never been the girly, fashion, makeup, boy obsessed type like her peers. Sure she had Fleur, and she was definitely a girly girl and she helped. Then there was Nat. Natasha was beautiful, there was no doubt. But she wasn't exactly fashion oriented.

Having spent the day with Pepper, she had to admit she did feel much more confident. Her hair was now tamed into relaxed curls that almost reached her waist. Seeing it like that, she couldn't bear to part with the length, so she had only had it trimmed. A couple new outfits picked by a personal shopper were laying across her bed. She smiled as she started to hang them in the closet.

XXXX

Phil Coulson had returned from his mission more than successful. No one could have anticipated that Captain America had been found. Found and apparently cryogenically frozen. The experts had been able to bring him back, and all of S.H.I.E.L.D were anxiously waiting for him to wake up.

Phil literally was on pins and needles. He couldn't believe that he would be able to meet his hero. He made sure to check in at least twice a day. This morning he had finally received word that he was awake. Since returning all thoughts of his odd incident in New Mexico had been practically forgotten. He smiled as he placed the cigar box with his collection of Captain America cards in his work locker. If he was lucky maybe Captain Rogers would autograph them for him.

XXXX

He woke slowly, his eyes blinking several times. Somewhere nearby he could hear the droning of a first thing he saw was the fan above him. He watched it for a moment as he took stock in his surroundings. Sitting up slowly he looked around. He didn't recognize the room. The radio caught his attention. It was a broadcast of a baseball game. He recognized it, but that wasn't right. He stared at the radio confused. Something was wrong. Had he been captured? The door opened and a young woman walked in.

"Afternoon Captain Rogers."

Steve blinked. "Where am I?"

"A recovery room in New York " she said calmly with a smile.

Steve looked at the radio again. "No. Where am I really?"

Her smile faltered, "I am not sure what you mean."

"The game. I know that game. I was there, last May with Buck. It wouldn't be broadcasting now. So where am I really?"

The woman was trying to reassure him when the door burst open and two armed soldiers in odd uniforms came in. He didn't hesitate to defend himself, he sent the men flying through the wall. He jumped through the hole and looked around for an escape. There! A door! He burst through into a crowded hall. Not hesitating he took off at a run. He had to get out. Somehow he had to find a way to get in touch with Peggy. She would know what was going on.

His heart flipped at the thought of Peggy. She was the first woman who was attracted to him. She was brilliant. He wasn't sure they were completely compatible but he had been looking forward to their date. A date he had obviously missed. He pushed past anyone in his way and exited the building.

His fight or flight mode had come to a complete halt. Where the hell was he? There were bright lights, unfamiliar buildings, signs that lit up everywhere, some of which moved. He spun around taking it in. Horns honked from cars whose model he had never seen. He was surrounded by more of the men in odd uniforms.

"Easy Captain. No need to fight." A deep voice said.

He spun around to see a bald, dark skinned man with an eye patch and long leather coat.

"Where am I? What happened?" Steve demanded.

"New York. We thought the room would be best. A way to ease you into things."

"Ease me into what?" Steve asked. His heart raced, chest heaving in his panic.

"Ever heard of Rip Van Winkle? It's like that. You've been asleep a very long time. Nearly 70 years Captain."

Steve was floored, his stomach plummeted. 70 years. Long enough for everything he knew to have changed. Long enough for everyone he knew to be gone. He thought of Bucky. Of the last horrible memory he had of him. How his fingers had slipped through his, and he fell from the train. Steve had barely been able to keep going, so deep was his grief. What had happened to the Howling Commandos? Had they all come through alive? And Peggy. Had she gone on a date with someone else in his place? A moment of jealousy flared. Idiot. It's been 70 years. She was a smart, beautiful woman. Of course she had gone on other dates. He just hoped she had found happiness.

"You going to be alright?" Eyepatch asked.

Was he? He honestly didn't know. He answered something as he found himself being escorted to a car. "Yeah. I just- I had a date," he finished lamely.

XXXX

The next morning dawned. Hermione pulled herself out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen. Tea. She needed tea. Her dreams had been plagued by two handsome men, and a feeling that something bad was coming. The sense of foreboding didn't ease upon waking. She had dreamed about Loki again. First she saw him in front of a museum, then in a forest. Both times Tony had been there in his Iron Man suit. Stranger still. Steve Rogers had been there too. What did that even mean? She glanced at the clock. She had an hour to spare, maybe she could figure out what this pull was leading her to.

She hurried through her morning routine. She cast a few spells before she stowed her wand in her arm bracer. Instinct telling her to grab it. She had only done this once before, when it led her to Thor. She had cast a quick disillusionment and notice-me-not before she stuffed her beaded bag in her pocket. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the pull she felt deep inside. She felt her body being squeezed as her living room disappeared. It felt similar to apparition, but slightly different. There was no focus on a specific destination. The first time it had happened she was terrified of splinching. But somehow she had been completely fine.

She expected to find herself in front of the museum. Or even the forest. She had not expected to find herself on top of a building in the middle of New York. Had something gone wrong? She searched inside. No. The Valkyrie had led her here. Oh Merlin. What was going to happen?

The foreboding was ten times worse than it had been in New Mexico. The area was heavily populated. If Loki showed up with that Destroyer it would be a catastrophe. How many would be hurt? Godric she wished she could figure out this mental link thing the old Valkyries had. She thought about the Valkyrior; how she wished she could have one too.

She had to try again. She needed help. Thor could help her. On instinct, she reached into her beaded bag and pulled the Valkyrie Circlet out. She knelt on the roof, and placed the circlet on her brow. Maybe it would help. She tried to block out everything around her and focus on making a connection. She focused on her breathing. Deep breaths in and slowly releasing, and repeating.

She could feel her heart. Lub dub, lub dub. Calmly it beat. Lub dub, LUB DUB. She sensed a second heartbeat, Harry. LUB DUB. LUB DUB, LUB DUB. And a third joined them, Fleur. Not wanting to involve them in this just yet, she bypassed the bonds connecting them and reached out farther, subconsciously reaching for others. A fourth, fifth and sixth joined in. All known to her, Natasha, Clint, Tony. Then two fainter heartbeats joined, followed by a tiny flicker of one. All unfamiliar. Tentatively she tried to test the link.

_'Hello?'_

No sign anyone heard the call. She pressed on.

_'Are you there?'_

Again silence. Not giving up she tried again.

_'Can you hear me?'_

Frustration filled her when again no one answered. Could they even hear her?

_'Please. I need your help!'_

Silence was her answer. Overwhelmed and scared of what the dreams and pull were trying to tell her, she began to cry. Sobs wracked her as she felt whatever connection she had managed to tentatively forge fade away. There had been no Thor, no Loki. Asgard must be too far away. The others that she knew were muggles. The three others she didn't know. She just knew she hadn't met them yet. One thing was evident for now. She was on her own.

XXXX

Clint was spending the rare morning at home with his wife and kids. At present the kids were building legos while Laura washed up from breakfast. He had been doing a bit of target practice when he heard it.

_'Hello?'_

He paused. Back straightening. Had he actually heard that? He shook his head, notching his arrow and readying his bow.

_'Are you there?'_

He definitely heard that. Startled, he let go of the string. For the first time in a very long time, he completely missed the target he had been aiming at.

_'Can you hear me?'_

Mouth gaping, doing a pretty damn good impression of a fish, he tried to think. He knew that voice.

_'Please. I need your help!'_

Was it really Hermione? Could magic do such a thing? The sounds of her crying stirred him into action. He rushed back into the house to grab his cell phone.

XXXX

Natasha had just gotten back from her latest mission. She was standing before Fury as he briefed her on her next mission, bringing in Bruce Banner.

_'Hello?'_

She struggled to keep her face blank. That didn't just happen did it?

_'Are you there?'_

Okay. That did happen. The voice sounded just like Hermione's. What was the witch up to now?

_'Can you hear me?'_

Nat kept her face blank, completely not hearing what Fury was saying.

_'Please. I need your help!'_

Finding herself excused. She walked down the hall and out of headquarters as quickly as she could without drawing suspicion. Once outside and away from headquarters she pulled her phone and dialed Hermione. Something had obviously happened.

XXXX

Tony had just poured himself a cup of coffee. He had pulled an all nighter working on his suit upgrades.

_'Hello?'_

He had just taken a drink, and found himself doing a spit take. What the hell was that?

_'Are you there?'_

"Jarvis! Run a scan and find where that voice is coming from."

"What voice sir? I detect no others in the building." Jarvis answered.

"Run it again!" Tony demanded.

Again Jarvis answered the same. Oh lord, was he losing his mind? Hearing voices was a very bad thing.

_'Can you hear me?'_

The coffee mug slipped through his fingers, and shattered on the floor. Yep. He was definitely losing it. Especially since the voice sounded like Helen's.

_'Please. I need your help!'_

Oh hell, we both need help he thought.

"Jarvis I am going to lay down. I'm not feeling so great."

XXXX

Steve had spent the morning taking out his feelings on the punching bags. THUD, That was for Bucky. THUD, THUD for Peggy. THUD, the Howling Commandos. THUD, THUD, Bucky again. He was on his third hanging bag when he heard a soft voice.

_'Hello?'_

He faltered in his next hit.

_'Are you there?'_

It was a woman's voice. A British one, that briefly reminded him of Peggy. Was he hearing things now? He looked around the gym, no one was there.

_'Can you hear me?'_

Again he heard it. But realised it was in his head. What was going on? He didn't understand.

_'Please, I need your help!'_

The voice called to him again. A lump formed in his throat as the voice dissolved into tears. He would help, if only he knew who, what, where, and how he was able to hear her.

XXXX

_'Hello?'_

_'Are you there?'_

_'Can you hear me?'_

_'Please. I need your help!'_

A woman's voice broke through the mindlessness of cryosleep. He didn't recognize the voice. And it issued no commands. Unable to wake, Bucky listened helplessly as her sobs echoed in his head.

XXXX

Far away, in a small village, Bruce Banner was doing his washing at the local watering hole. He was sure the stress of keeping the other guy at bay was wearing on him. He was hearing things now.

_'Hello?'_

_'Are you there?'_

_'Can you hear me?'_

_'Please. I need your help!'_

XXXX

Hearing her phone ring, she pulled herself together. Apparently it had worked at least on their end. Both Clint and Nat had heard her. They agreed to meet to discuss what was going on. She didn't have time to get into it now. They agreed to meet up at Clint's to ensure privacy. Clint had asked Hermione about meeting his family. She agreed, and promised no magic around his family. Better they not know just what she was.

They had joined Clint's family for dinner that evening. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the love and warmth of his family. His wife Laura was incredibly sweet, and his children were darling. After they had gone to bed, Hermione sat down to fill in Nat and Clint. They all agreed that if they could figure out the mind link that it could be incredibly helpful.

Nat had confirmed that she was leaving the next evening on a mission to "convince" Bruce Banner to return with her to S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters. She was nervous about possibly finding herself facing the bug angry green version of Banner. Hermione once again thought about how she had dealt with Grawp. While she encouraged Natasha to try and keep him calm if possible, she assured her that she would be tagging along, just in case he did make an appearance. There was no way she could let Natasha walk into a situation like that. They made plans for Hermione to join her under a disillusionment charm.

XXXX

The next morning, she rose early. She passed on breakfast. She had the worst feeling something was wrong. She shook it off while showering and getting ready. Happy would be here to pick her up any minute. She just needed to get through today. Tonight she would be going with Natasha as backup in case Banner became the big angry green version of himself.

Entering Tony's lab always brought a smile to her face. The things he was able to create were incredible. She would have to tell him again later. Not that he needed anyone inflating his ego. She slipped in quietly. Jarvis had let her know Tony wasn't feeling well, and she didn't want to disturb him if she could help it.

She settled herself down at her desk and began looking over Tony's schedule. A meeting was scheduled for later this morning. The name put her on guard. Nick Fury. What was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D wanting a meeting with Tony for? He had already turned him down as a consultant several times. Maybe she should listen in.

XXXX

She was just returning with their lunch when Jarvis informed her that Nick Fury was there.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes Miss?" Jarvis' posh accent made her smile.

"If I asked you to avoid recording anything you see with me for the next few minutes, would it be a problem?" She questioned.

"As long as you are doing no harm, I don't see why it would. I have been given orders to obey your commands after all," Jarvis replied.

"Excellent. I promise I am not causing any harm. Thank you Jarvis. I will let you know when it is clear," she said.

"I'll be listening Miss."

Once she was assured that Jarvis wouldn't record her, she reached into her beaded bag and retrieved a pair of extendable ears. She fed them through a vent near the top of the door. She could pick up the conversation clearly.

"Stark. This is serious. I need you. The team needs you."

"What makes you even think any of these others will join? I mean, come on you have Steve Rogers on this list. He's been gone a very long time. Perhaps you need to update your list," Tony said.

She heard the rustling of paper as Tony tossed a file on his desk. She made a note to copy it. If Tony was on their she could be sure Natasha and Clint probably were too.

"Actually. Captain Rogers has been retrieved and successfully unfrozen." Fury said.

"Unfrozen? What was he, a Capsicle?" Tony snarked.

Hermione's heart skipped. Steve Rogers was alive? Oh Merlin.

"When he crashed, his body went into cryosleep. Preserving body and mind. He is adjusting. The world has changed a lot in 70 years."

"No kidding. My father never gave up hope of finding him. I hear you found the tesseract, and then lost said tesseract."

"Now how the hell do you know that?" Fury demanded.

"Please. Like it was hard to find. You really need to upgrade your defense system. It was child's play," Tony smirked.

Hermione remembered reading about the tesseract. Could that have something to do with whatever she sensed was coming? She was pretty certain it did.

"Of course you already hacked it. Yes, Loki opened a portal, stole the tesseract and kidnapped a scientist and a S.H.I.E.L.D agent." Fury said.

"Who?" Tony asked.

"The scientist is an astrophysicist, Erik Selvig. He was one of the ones who first investigated the electromagnetic disturbances in New Mexico."

"The name sounded familiar. And the agent? How worried should we be?"

"Agent Barton. Loki used the tesseract's energy to power his scepter. Which he then used to somehow hijack the minds of anyone he touched with it. Including Selvig and Barton."

Hermione's stomach dropped. Somehow Clint was being controlled by Loki. Oh Godric! She had to help him! Natasha must be going spare.

What do you say Stark? Join us? The others will come when the world needs them."

"Fine. Count me in. I'll need access to a lab though."

"Not a problem. Pack what you need and report to headquarters tomorrow morning."

"Anything I need?" Tony clarified.

"Yes. Whatever you need."

The men exchanged goodbyes. Hermione quickly reeled in the extendable ears and tucked them back in her purse. She cast a quick disillusionment to be sure Fury didn't spot her.

When the door opened, she slipped in and made a quick copy of the file. She would study it tonight. She just had to keep it together and get through the day so she could help Nat and maybe figure out to help Clint.


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, then I didn't create it, don't own it. Just the story concept is mine. **

**AUTHOR NOTE: I hope you are all staying safe with all this Covid 19 chaos! Be smart people! Stay home if you can! Let's stop this virus from spreading as quickly as we can so everyone can get healthy! To all those who have to deal with us as your job; the health workers, grocery store workers, truck drivers, etc: Thank You. **

**The Valkyrie **

**Chapter 22: Coffee with the Captain**

After stashing the copy of the file in her ever-present beaded bag, Hermione got to work. When Tony re-entered the lab a short time later, she was already waiting with his coffee and the rest of his days schedule.

"Morning Tony. Here's your coffee, and here is your schedule. It looks like some changes were made since last night," she said.

"Yes. Scrap the schedule. Instead I need you to help oversee the packing of the lab," he said.

"Packing up the lab? We aren't scheduled for any sort of move until next week. What's going on Tony?"

He looked like he was thinking about lying but changed his mind. "I had an early morning meeting, and have been asked to join in a special project. I accepted. As such I have been offered lab space. Since I am going to be taking most of the essentials anyways, now would be the best time to pack it up and move the remaining to the new lab. It is all ready for set up now." He made a few gestures, bringing up the Hologram system. He flicked his fingers, scroling a bit before enlarging. "This is the list of things I need for the project. The rest can be moved to the new lab."

Eying the list, she pretended to not know anything, "A special project. As Tony Stark or as Iron Man?"

"Bit of both. They begged for my genius and sense of style," he smirked.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh yes. How can anyone survive without you? Whatever would I do while you're away? I shall pine until next we meet." She said dramatically.

"No worries there Queen Elizabeth. You're coming with. I am sending Happy to pack a bag for you," he grinned.

"Anthony Howard Stark! You better call Happy right this instant! There is no way anyone other than me would be packing anything of mine. Besides I don't remember you asking me to accompany you."

"Fine. I'll call Happy and you can go home tonight and pack. But I'm not asking. We both know you are too curious to miss this," he smirked again.

She cursed as she turned away to start the sorting out.

He laughed at her cursing, "How can you still sound so prim and proper while cursing? It's a delight really. Now, do you have any questions? I have to sort things with Pepper."

XXXX

She had been overseeing the packing of the lab when the chimes on her mirror alerted her. A quick glance saw no one around.

"Jarvis...a few moments of privacy if you please."

"Of course Miss."

Turning her back to the door just in case Tony or Pepper came in, she pulled out her compact. She opened it to see an irritated quarter Veela sister pacing and ranting. The compact was snatched from Fleur and Bill's anxious face came into view.

"Hermione. I don't know what you are up to but it has set Fleur off. Care to explain?"

"I tried to keep it from her and Harry. I didn't want to worry them until I knew more."

"Is this a Hermione problem or a Valkyrie problem?"

"Valkyrie."

"Bloody hell. The vows. You specifically said your fight is my fight. If there is a fight coming for you, they won't be able to help but be involved," he explained.

"Holy Valhalla! This just got more complicated. Look I have to get a little more information but I will pop over as soon as I can to explain. I promise. Can you calm her down?"

"Yes. I can distract her for a little bit. But I'm telling you Harry won't be so easily distracted."

XXXX

Tony had finally sent her home with instructions to be there bright and early the meet him the next morning. She quickly called Nat to confirm tonight's plans. When she reached her apartment, she waved to Phil as she passed him on the way in. Then she quickly began packing while floating the file she had copied in front of her.

Avengers Initiate. A group of so called heroes to defend Earth, headed by S.H.I.E.L.D and commanded by Nick Fury. The heroes listed would be an impressive unit if they could work together.

Tony Stark-Iron Man

Natasha Romanoff-Black Widow

Clint Barton- Hawkeye

Steve Rogers-Captain America

Bruce Banner-Hulk

Yes an impressive group to say the least. Of course with Tony's attitude she would probably have to minimize his interaction with Banner. Tony made an effort to pick, pick, pick and drive the most patient person crazy. Then again maybe she should keep Nat away too. She was bound to put him in his place. Then again….she would love to see Nat give him a smackdown. Hell, she might as well just keep Tony away from everyone before he ended up getting himself hurt.

She scanned the section about Bruce Banner again. His resume was quite impressive. He understood the value in education. He was observed as a quiet, well mannered, intelligent man. That is until the switch was triggered. Then it seemed as if he lost his mind to the baser desires of Hulk. She briefly wondered if she could make him a form of wolfsbane that could help. His ability to communicate while in that form was quite limited. She was once again reminded of Grawp. A firm hand was needed. She was certain of it.

She didn't doubt that Natasha could take care of herself, but there was still no way she could be talked out of going with her tonight. Nat met her inside her apartment and Hermione greeted her with a hug before they headed out. She could tell Nat was worried about Clint. She vowed to help him. She cast a disillusionment and silencio on her feet before following Nat out. Nat opened the passenger pretending to look for something in the door's pocket before moving to the side so Hermione could get in. Once she heard the whispered ok, she shut the door and got into the driver's seat. She stuck to Nat as they boarded the jet to take them to Kolkata.

She briefly left Natasha's side to do a bit of recon. It didn't take her long to see the file had been correct about Dr. Bruce Banner. He was calm, and collected. When Natasha confronted him, she was by her side, wand at the ready. She wouldn't allow Nat to be hurt if she could help it. There had only been a brief moment when she was sure they would meet The Hulk face to face. Banner's eyes had begun to bleed green before returning to their normal color as he got his anger in control.

Luckily the trip had been mostly uneventful. She said a brief good night to Natasha. Reminding her to keep her cover with Tony. Natasha smiled at the idea of her cursing Tony when he found out.

Upon returning home, she set an alarm and laid down for a short nap. She was thankful the jet was so quick or she would have not been able to meet Tony.

XXXX

She met Tony the following morning, bag in hand. She boarded the helicarrier a few steps behind Tony. A specialized notice-me-not allowed her to bypass the guards, but still be noticed by Tony should he pay attention. He had a meeting with Fury, then he asked her to meet him in the room he would be using as a lab with a coffee. She agreed, using the meeting time to unpack her stuff in an empty bedroom and set a few wards to ensure privacy.

XXXX

The chimes on her mirror compact alerted Hermione to yet another attempt from Harry to contact. She had been avoiding him after talking to Bill. Apparently the attempt to block Harry and Fleur while trying to establish the mental connection with Thor had only partially worked. Because of the unique bond and the vows they had made, Harry and Fleur knew something was wrong, just not exactly what. BIll had been able to placate Fleur for the time being.

When she had failed to answer the first two mirror calls from Harry, he had gone to Shell Cottage. It had taken Bill taking his wand to stop Harry from rushing off to save the day. He had since taken to calling her mirror every hour on the hour. She couldn't keep avoiding him. She really needed to make a trip back and explain exactly what was going on. She quickly called Bill and begged him to calm Harry down and tell him she would be there as soon as she could. Glancing at the clock she hurried to find Tony a coffee before tracking him down. A discreet point me spell helped locate him quicker.

She was hurrying towards the lab with Tony's coffee, thoughts swirling in her mind. She knew meeting Steve Rogers was likely. She had mentally been preparing for it. She would be calm, polite, thus smoothing the interaction. She would not allow the nerves and jumbled emotions to get to her. She was sure everything would be fine. She would be able to maintain her cover without drawing attention to herself. Then she walked into the broad chest of someone, crushing the hot coffee between them.

XXXX

Steve Roger had already been aboard the helicarrier for a while. He was trying to find Tony Stark, the son of the late Howard Stark. He knew the lab was somewhere this way, but he wasn't exactly sure where. He had a lot of respect for Howard, and hoped that he could work well with his son. He glanced at the folder in his hands for a brief second before something collided with him, soaking his front with something hot. He jerked back in reflex, dropping the folder even as he steadied the person who had collided with him.

A tumble of long dark curls and a sweet voice cursing, "Oh for Godric's sake." The accent caught him off guard and reminded him of Peggy. His hands tightened reflexively on her arms. He let go when he realized what he was doing. She wasn't Peggy. Her voice though, something about it was so familiar. The woman apologized as she knelt down to pick up his folder, pulling a handkerchief out to wipe it off. She looked up to hand it to him. He was trying to brush it off, he hadn't been paying attention, it was as much his fault. She looked up at him and the words died on his lips.

XXXX

"Oh for Godric's sake!" She cursed as she collided with someone. The coffee crushed between them, bathing them both in the hot beverage. Hands steadied her from falling, even as they dropped a folder in the coffee mess at their feet. She babbled apologies as she bent to retrieve the folder. Noticing the coffee on the folder, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at the folder, drying it as best as she could. She brushed her long hair back from her face as she stood to return the folder to them.

Her eyes traced the rather broad chest and shoulders before meeting the man's gaze. A blush immediately warmed her face. Of course it was her luck. Of all the people to have met in such a way, she had to have collided and spilled coffee all over Steve Rogers. The imagined perfect meeting she had just been planning went up in flames before her very eyes. She was mortified.

"I-I-I sorry," she squeaked out, wincing. Losing her nerve, she dashed off down the hall in humiliation.

She rushed into the lab, and pressed her back to the wall, a frustrated sigh escaping.

"Well hello to you too Princess Diana. Happy to see you- is that my coffee dripping onto the floor?" Tony greeted.

She flashed an annoyed look at him, "I don't want to talk about it Anthony. Just leave me be."

She made her way to the restroom just off the lab. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against the door, banging her head lightly. What a spectacular way to cock up a first meeting. Not only did she run into the man and spill coffee all over him. She had then fled the scene. Just wait until Nat heard about this one.

She removed her button up shirt. Thankful for the racerback she constantly wore underneath, which was mostly untouched. She had just finished washing her face and hands when voices drifted through the door. a quick glance at the reflection told her other than looking unprofessional, she looked fine.

She tried to cast a glamour over her arm to hide that word. But it didn't seem to work. She couldn't focus properly, being so flustered still. She took some deep steadying breaths and refocused. She cast the spell again. She watched the letters fade from view and clearly heard Tony's voice this time.

"Given the state of your shirt. I would say you had a run in with my assistant," he said amused.

Of course. Just her luck, Steve Rogers would have come into the lab. Cursing her luck, she debated hiding out in the bathroom hoping he would leave. A knock on the door shot that idea down quick.

"Still alive in there? Or have you died of embarrassment? I mean he is a rather nice specimen of man, not near my godlike self. But still nice," Tony was saying.

She opened the door, cheeks flushing. "Anthony! Stuff it, you overgrown tin can!"

"Aw come on Duchess. It is just too much fun to rile you up!"

"Keep it up Anthony, and I will recycle your suit!" She said glaring at him.

She noticed the other two people in the room watching in amusement. Holding out a hand first to Bruce Banner she greeted them properly.

"You must be Dr. Bruce Banner. I must say your work is absolutely fascinating. I have read several of the articles you published and I was impressed."

Bruce smiled amused as she continued to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you Miss…"

"Oh! I'm Helen. I'm that one's Babysitter," she said with a cheeky grin as she jerked a thumb at Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes and Steve snorted as he tried to contain his laugh.

Turning to Steve she decided to start again.

"I am sorry about our rather unfortunate meeting earlier. I'm Helen," she said.

"Is that….Holy Shit! The bookworm has a tattoo! Let me see!" Tony exclaimed. He kept darting as she turned away from him.

"Stop it Anthony! I will tell Pepper about the chocolate fountain!"

"No! She's determined to make me eat healthy. That's not happening."

"Uh huh. Sweet Pepper taking the time to bring you that tasty fruit and you ruin it by coating it in chocolate. "

"Hey! It's still fruit….it's just improved. Besides, she just doesn't understand that I NEED the sugar to function. Ask Jarvis!"

"No one needs that amount of sugar Tony. And fruit has enough sugar IN it."

"Yeah. But it's not the same," he said pouting like a small child.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say Tony. Now back to work Tin Man."

XXXX

He had been observing her as she flitted about the lab doing things for Tony. It was easy to see she was intelligent, able to keep up with both Banner and Stark as they discussed things. She was funny, bantering with Tony like siblings would. It made his heart ache. It was so much like he and Bucky had been. He couldn't help but think Bucky would have liked her.

She was definitely beautiful, especially when she smiled. He really liked her smile. It did funny things to him when she directed it at him. It was funny though, it seemed as if she didn't see her own beauty. At least if she did she didn't try to use it to manipulate those around her. He liked that. No! He couldn't think this way. It would just end up like it had with Peggy. He couldn't do that to someone else.

XXXX

They were trying to trace Loki using facial recognition. Surely some camera, somewhere had seen him. The sound of squabbling yet again made him curse Stark. He really should have known better when he told Stark to bring whatever he needed. Apparently he needed an expresso machine, that caused all the agents to fight over. He growled in frustration as he pushed through the crowded agents and unplugged it.

He turned and stalked down the hall to the lab. Stark had been on board less than a day and he had already had to break up three arguments over the damned machine. And don't get him started on the "necessary" chocolate fountain he had brought with him. Lord only knew what else he had deemed necessary. What was next, a putting green? He opened the door and stopped in his tracks. There was a stranger on his ship. How was there someone he didn't know on his ship?

"Who the hell is this? What are you doing on my ship?" He turned to Tony, "What the hell did you do now Stark?"

He took a step towards the woman and found his path blocked by Captain Rogers.

"That's no way to talk in front of a lady. You should be more polite." Rogers said.

"Well you did say I could bring anything I needed," Stark said.

"And you deemed a human necessary? One without proper clearance? For Fucks sake! She could be working for Loki!"

"Hey! That's my assistant you are talking about. Do you really think I didn't check her out thoroughly before hiring her? Nothing bad to be found in her folder. Not so much as a naked picture posted online. And I can't very well be expected to fetch my own coffee."

"Anthony!" The woman screeched.

XXXX

No one had noticed Nathasha slipping in. Fury's yelling had drawn her in. She shot nervous glances at Banner. This could potentially turn big, green and ugly in a hurry.

"Perhaps we should handle this a little calmer," she suggested.

She watched Banner clench his fists. Hermione reached out and patted his hand. She smiled at Banner who unclenched his fists and smiled lopsidedly.

"We got a hit!" A voice yelled as the sound of running echoed in the hall.

"Director Fury, we have it. 62% match."

"Wait, cross-check- 79%!" The voice yelled.

"Location?" Fury snapped.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Koenigstrasse."

Stark was hurriedly pulling up the location.

"He's not exactly hiding," he said, turning the screen for them all to see.

"Captain, you're up," Fury said. "All of you. Suit up! Banner-"

"I'll stay here and monitor the situation," he said ruefully.

A nod in his direction before Fury left with a bellowed, "Move it! The jet leaves with or without you in T minus 5!"

Nat met Hermione's gaze as she walked passed. No words were exchanged but she imagined she heard Hermione urge her to be safe.

XXXX

She had stayed silent through the whole incident. She knew this was it. Whatever was coming was drawing nearer. Time to head to England. The conversation was already overdue but she had needed more information.

She followed on Tony's heels as he was barking orders at Jarvis to ready his suit. Captain Rogers rushed past them on his way to his quarters. Entering Tony's quarters, she watched in amazement as the suit fitted to him. It never failed to seem like magic.

Tony turned towards her, his mask still up. Jarvis spoke up, "Sir. the jet has just left. Captain Rogers and Miss Romanoff are on board. I have informed them that you will follow."

"Thank you Jarvis." He looked at her, hands came up to rest on her shoulders. He gave them a light squeeze and nodded before he strode to the door. "Don't worry! I'll be back in a Flash- wait. Wrong superhero!"

She chuckled, "Take care out there Tony."

"See you soon Helen."

She said a silent prayer for Nat, Steve and Tony before headed to her room. She needed her bag before she headed to talk to Harry and Fleur.

"Keep an eye on them Jarvis," she said quietly. Then she pulled the portkey for Shell Cottage from her bag and activated it.


End file.
